


Stories from Designation: Miracle

by umisabaku



Series: Designation: Miracle [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Human Experimentation, M/M, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-06-02 17:00:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 22,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6574513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/umisabaku/pseuds/umisabaku
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Random short stories set in the Designation: Miracle universe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Your Heart is Cold Cause it Burns

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea that I would occasionally write short stories on tumblr (stories that wouldn't take me too long to write, ideally in the span of an hour) if people requested very specific prompts for things that I could write in a short amount of time. I have so far only done this once, but I figured I would post it on Archive anyway? So each story is going to be a one-shot and hopefully there will be more, and when there are I will update pairings/characters/ratings accordingly.
> 
> Feel free to find me at umisabaku.tumblr.com if you have a specific prompt you would like to see if it would make a short story that I could write it in the span of an hour. =)
> 
> This one gets it's title from "And We Run" by Within Temptation, because anything that deals with Teiko probably will. @im-up-all-night-to-save-bucky wanted to know more about the Purple Nines, so this happened.
> 
> These stories are rougher because I wrote it very quickly, but I hope you enjoy! Kudos and comments are always welcome =)

Murasakibara stares and he can’t stop staring.

He doesn’t usually shower with his teammates because he doesn’t like being watched, he doesn’t like the questions that follow, or the look in their eyes. People always stare and they always have questions and it’s the most annoying thing in the world.

He knew, as soon as he stayed after practice with Himuro, that eventually they would go to the shower room together, and eventually Himuro would see him, and eventually Himuro would stare and ask questions, just like everyone else. But he stayed after practice anyway, and he goes to the showers anyway, and part of him can’t help but think, _Yeah, OK. If it’s Murochin, it’s fine. It wouldn’t be too bothersome if he asks._

Then Himuro starts taking off his clothes, and Murasakibara stares, and stares, and he pretty much forgets to shower entirely.

*

He didn’t want to like Himuro. He didn’t want to be anywhere near Himuro. People talked about the gorgeous American returnee as soon as he transferred to Yosen, so Murasakibara knew about him long before the Second Year ever approached him.

Himuro is too pretty—pretty in that intimidating way that Murasakibara can’t stand. He’s pretty like a Yellow Six was pretty. And you couldn’t trust the beauty of a Yellow Six; that was just common knowledge in Teiko. A Yellow Six was a beautiful lie; they charmed and they deceived and if you got too caught up in their beauty they would stick a knife in your gut before you even knew something was wrong.

And Himuro was unreadable—in that way the Black Fours were unreadable. He wasn’t quite as expressionless as Kuroko, but it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. He smiled a lot; but you couldn’t tell if he was angry or happy or bored and Murasakibara didn’t like that. He liked it when people were simple, when what you saw was what you got.

Murasakibara made exceptions for his Generation—Kise was Kise, Kuroko was Kuroko, they were both people Murasakibara was inextricably bound together with—but he didn’t know what to do with someone like Himuro. Himuro was very human, but he somehow seemed like he _shouldn’t_ be. He was a walking contradiction Murasakibara didn’t want to be anywhere near.

*

He thinks about all those things when he stares at Himuro in the shower. Because if Himuro was beautiful with clothes on, nothing could prepare Murasakibara for the sight of Himuro naked.

Himuro has pale flawless skin; the water runs over him and it’s like Murasakibara can see every drop. This is what people are supposed to look like, Murasakibara thinks. Unscarred and perfect. But even that doesn’t seem right; people have flaws, people don’t look divinely beautiful; there is something _other_ about Himuro. Like he’s not human, he’s too pretty to be human, but not like he’s from Teiko either. Teiko made monsters; at times beautiful monsters, at times monstrous monsters, but always monsters.

Himuro’s not a monster, but he doesn’t seem quite like he’s human either, he’s this other thing entirely Murasakibara doesn’t know how to handle.

As Himuro turns off the water Murasakibara realizes he’s been staring far too long but still he can’t stop. He can’t figure Himuro out. The way water drops on his pale skin, the way his black hair somehow seems brighter, the muscles that came from tedious hard labor, the single mole under his eye that sometimes Murasakibara wants to reach out and touch, the eye that Murasakibara never sees. Murasakibara wants to stare forever until everything about Himuro Tatsuya makes sense.

He sighs, long and unhappy. “Murochin is too pretty.” The words escape before he can stop them, encompassing everything he has come to feel about the other boy. He’s _too_ pretty, someone as pretty as Himuro shouldn’t be near Murasakibara Atsushi, it’s a mystery he can’t solve and he hates it.

“Eh? What did you say, Atsushi?” Himuro cranes his head to look at him the first time since they took off their clothes.

And Himuro stares.

*

He does not expect Himuro to start crying. Himuro never does what he expects. When Himuro asks in a strangled voice, “What _happened_ to you?” there is so much there that Murasakibara doesn’t know how to answer.

*

P989 had a secret, one he didn’t even tell his Generation.

The lead scientist of the Purple Nines was a heavyset man who constantly smoked cigars. He was not a happy man. He constantly complained about his upset stomach, his insomnia, his bad heart. And he often complained about the Purple Nines.

“I don’t see why I have to be in charge of this Group,” was his favorite thing to grumble about. He always spoke to the other scientists in the Purple Nine Project group; he never spoke to the P Nines themselves. But unlike the other scientists in the other sectors, he didn’t mind talking in front of the Projects. In retrospect, he probably did not expect them to understand what he was saying.

“It’s the most boring Project. I hate working on this one.”

“But you’ve have so much progress,” one of the others would usually say. “So much more than the others.”

The man would wave his cigar around, dismissing this praise. “It was easy to make a monster.” He would stare at the Projects, stare at P989, and then he would say, “The hard part was making them look human.”

*

“Why do you think we never see adult Projects?” someone in their Generation would ask. It was usually Yellow.

“Obviously they’ve been scrapped,” Blue replied.

“All of them?”

“They were failures,” Red explained. “Failures are always scrapped. That will not happen to us. We are Successes.”

“Not all of us,” Pink said. But they didn’t like to think about what was going to happen to Orange and Black and the rest of them.

Purple never said anything; because Purple knew things the others did not. But if there was one thing he learned, it was that universally, it was better to just keep his mouth shut about things he knew that others did not.

There _were_ adult Projects in Teiko, though. He’d seen them.

*

The Project leader brought P989 to an abandoned sector of Teiko once. This was before he met up with the other Miracles, the rest of his Generation. This was before he was Purple, and instead was just a number, and he didn’t know anything. They went down, down, down to an underground section P989 hadn’t known existed. It was dark and smelled disgusting, like rotting. He didn’t like it.

“Want to meet your big brothers, 989?” his creator said.

P989 did not respond, because it was easier not to. His creator never seemed to expect a response.

“Here they are,” his creator gestured. “My early work. I’ve improved a lot, don’t you think?”

His older brothers were in cages. They were not human.

They were not anything P989 had ever seen before. They were massive, like giants. Probably ten feet tall and very wide, bulky, almost pure muscle. There arms were like the tree trunks, and placed before them, knuckles to the ground, like gorillas (only P989 hadn’t known about gorillas then). They had tusks protruding from their jaws, spear like ridges down their spine, and a few of them had tails. P989 could not look at them and see brothers; they did not look like any Project he had ever seen before. They were purple, though. The only kinship they shared. Purple hair, skin, eyes.

“But people don’t want just any old monster, do they?” his creator said, again more to himself than to P989. “No, they don’t want to buy something that can’t pass as human. ‘We can’t use this,’ they say. ‘This is too freakish,’ they say. Well, isn’t that better? They’re weapons, they should be scary. But no one listens to me.”

As he talked he opened the door to one of the older P-Nines, releasing him into an arena like area. Then he shoved P989 into the arena with him.

“But they also don’t want a human monster that’s weaker than the real deal. Some people are never happy. OK, P989? Are you stronger than your brothers or aren’t you?”

And P989 knew what he had to do, even before the older Project roared and attacked him. This was a demonstration, the first way he could prove he was a Success and worthy of keeping around.

There was really only one thing he could do.

*

“Good job, P989,” his creator had said, sounding impressed. “I guess you pass. You can meet the rest of your Generation now.”

They left the monsters in the basement. P989 burned what they looked like into his mind, so he wouldn’t ever forget. This is what you are, he thought, this is what you are inside. A monster, just like them.

*

Because his creator talks freely in front of the P-Nines, he knew his future better than the others in his Generation. But he kept quiet about that too.

“This is great, we’ll sell him to the Americans when he’s older; they’ve been waiting for the finished Project long enough.”

“He needs more training before he can be viable as a weapon, though,” someone else added. “Super strength is all well and good, but the military would never want someone who couldn’t obey commands.”

“They’re not thinkers,” his creator snorted derisively, puffing out the cigar smoke. “I learned my lesson on _that_ one, thank you very much. No, they’ll obey; they’re not smart enough to make decisions for themselves.”

And P989 thinks that’s probably true enough. But he definitely doesn’t want to be sold; he wants to stay with his Generation. It’s the first thing he ever really became conscious of wanting.

So he stops doing anything. Which he found out real fast he was a far better way of living. He got hit a lot, but constantly having to lift things and break things and kill things all in the name of being Successful was way too bothersome. He’d rather be hit.

*

At night, Himuro will spend hours kissing the length of Murasakibara’s body. He kisses each scar, sometimes running his tongue along the length of them, sometimes gentle pecks against the mangled skin. Then Himuro takes time leaving his own marks on Murasakibara’s body. He finds a spot of unscarred skin and he sucks so hard it bruises (they fade, almost always by the time morning comes. Murasakibara regrets this, the only time he’s ever regretted his fast healing; he thinks it would be nice to have a permanent mark made by Himuro.)

Himuro kisses every part of him like he’s in a state of worship. He’s always gentle with his touch, even when Murasakibara tells him it’s not like he was even physically strong enough to cause damage; he’s gentle and very careful and when he kisses each mark on Murasakibara’s body he whispers, “I’m so glad. I’m so very glad you survived.”

And Murasakibara thinks, for the first time, that it’s OK he is so scarred, because it means he healed and found his way here, to Himuro, to this man who loves monsters.


	2. Love is Addiction (And You Are My Nicorette)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @short-story-shorter requested family fluff (and more will come!) the first one being Youji giving tips to Kise about how to seduce Kasamatsu =D
> 
> This also functions as a nice teaser for my upcoming JSDF prequel, which should be up soon!!
> 
> Title comes from "Origin of Love" by Mika

Kasamatsu Youji spots his eldest son sulking under a tree near the training grounds. This is disconcerting for many reasons. First, because Yukio wasn’t supposed to be on base today, much less now, when he should be in school. And secondly, because Yukio had never been the kind of person who would sulk. Definitely not in public anyway, where other people could see him. Even as a child, Yukio was very conscious about maintaining his composure around other people.

Youji has a pretty good idea of what’s going on, even if the _why_ behind it confuses him, so he heads over to the tree where his eldest son sits pouting, holding his knees to his chest. There’s a sign at the boy’s feet confirming Youji’s suspicions, proclaiming in a messy scrawl on cardboard: “This Is Kise Ryouta.”

“Ryouta?” he asks tentatively.

“Hey, Youji-san,” Kise says not really looking up at him.

Youji sits down next to the boy (who looks like his eldest son) and wonders if he should bring it up. He decides to hold off. “What’s up, kiddo? What’s bugging you?”

Kise doesn’t answer right away; instead he just lets out an incredibly loud and long-suffering sigh. It’s the kind of sigh only teenagers can truly master, Youji notes. No one else on this earth could have martyrdom down to such an art form.

Youji has three sons and he leads a squad of young troops. He can be patient.

“When is Kasamatsu-senpai coming back?”

Bingo. And that pretty much confirms what Youji had been suspecting for awhile now about Kise’s attachment to his son. That had definitely been a sigh of the lovelorn.

“He said he would come by this Sunday,” Youji replies.

“That’s days away!” Kise cries. “He hasn’t been here in almost two weeks!”

“It’s exam season,” Youji says apologetically. “He has to maintain his grades, otherwise there will be makeup tests and tutors and he wouldn’t be able to come at all.”

“He could study here!”

Youji kindly does not point out that Kise never lets Yukio do anything that would take his attention away from Kise. “He always comes back. You know he does.”

“But he always goes away again,” Kise says darkly. He picks at the ground and looks away, near tears. It is truly bizarre to watch his son so distraught, so un-Yukio like. It’s even weirder knowing that it’s Kise in one of his Copies because Youji has never seen Kise be anything less than a Perfect Copy of the person he’s mimicking. He hadn’t even known Kise _could_ still be Kise when he Copied someone.

“He doesn’t like me, does he?” Kise says.

“Ryouta, how could you say that?” Youji chides. He knows all the Miracles have their bad days—it would be weirder if they _didn’t_ , considering everything they went through—but he’s never actually seen Kise this down before. “You’re very important to him. He wouldn’t come back if he didn’t care.”

“But he doesn’t like me like I like him. If it was the other way around, I’d go see him _every day._ I’d keep coming back, I wouldn’t leave! I would be with him all the time, if I could.”

“Well, why can’t you?” Youji suggests.

Kise/Yukio scowls. “I can’t leave the base.”

“I don’t see why not. We’re not keeping you prisoners. You leave for your modeling gigs.”

“But I can’t _leave_ leave. I have to stay with my Generation.”

“Do you?” Youji says.

The higher ups have been discussing the possibility of sending the kids away—into foster families, into normal high schools. Youji’s been lobbying for this for awhile now. He thinks the only chance they have of reaching some semblance of normality is if they separate from the co-dependent pack they’ve formed with each other and started interacting with human kids their age. Surprisingly, the biggest obstacle to this plan had not been the authorities reluctant to let dangerous kids mingle in society, but the kids themselves. The Miracles still by in large did not want to interact with people.

“Yeah. I mean, it’s not like I could stay with Senpai even if I didn’t live on base.”

“Hmm. I don’t know about that. I think it would be nice if you lived with us,” Youji suggests, with the air of “what a wonderful idea I just totally came up with right now, no really.”

Kise startles and looks towards Youji for the first time since this conversation began. Youji suspects that Kise still occasionally forgets that he’s Yukio’s father. “You mean—live with you? And Senpai?”

“And my two younger boys, yes,” Youji says.

There’s a fierce hunger in Kise’s eyes (in Yukio’s—and what a strange sight _that_ is—he really hopes Kise transforms back to Kise soon). “I could be with Senpai all the time,” Kise says in awed tones. Then he shakes his head. “No, no—it’s no good. Akashicchi would never allow it. And anyway, I’m still not even sure Senpai likes me all that much.”

“He does,” Youji says confidently. “He’s just bad at showing his feelings. His mother was the same way. You just need to be patient, Ryouta. Maybe next time he’s here, you should try and do something he enjoys? Like basketball. He’s likes it when people take the game seriously. Also, ask him about music, he likes talking about bands but he doesn’t bring it up unless someone else does first.”

“Hmmm.” Kise sounds very intrigued, and he has the determined look Youji has seen in some soldiers on reconnaissance missions.

Youji is aware that he’s shamelessly giving the boy tips on how to seduce his son. His life has become very strange.

“Buck up, kiddo, it took me five years to convince Hinami to go on a date with me! You just have to hang in there!” He slaps Kise on the back in a fatherly fashion.

Kise droops, still dejected. “That’s such a long time.”

“You’re young; time will fly by faster than you think. Out of curiosity, why the sign?” He gestures towards Kise’s cardboard declaration at his feet.

“I promised Senpai I wouldn’t ever fool people into thinking I was him,” Kise explains morosely. “This way, no one will be fooled, right?”

Youji suspects this isn’t quite what Yukio had in mind when he made Kise promise that. But no one could accuse Kise of not keeping his word, though.


	3. Scary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was doing a thing over on tumblr where I got one word prompts and a pairing and writing super short fic for that. I got a request for MuraHimu and the word "scary" and I couldn't resist slotting it into Designation:Miracle. It's super short, but I figured I'd post it over here anyway. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!! =D

“How can you be friends with the Miracle, Himuro-kun? He’s so scary!”

Himuro smiles, because smiling is his default response when he’s confronted with people he’d rather hit. (Kagami called it his “poker face” and while it’s true, Himuro _does_ make a killing while playing poker, he prefers to think of it as his “I’m too pretty for prison so smile instead of murder when dealing with idiots” face. It has, so far, kept him from committing any major crimes that would land him in jail.)

“Not at all,” he tells his classmate. “Atsushi is a sweetheart.”

The girl shivers dramatically. “No way, I get nightmares. He’s kind of monstrous, don’t you think?”

She says this to another classmate but Himuro is clearly intended to respond.

Himuro used to be able to let things like this slide a lot more. And privately, maybe he enjoyed being the only person who was close to Murasakibara, maybe he liked being able to keep the Miracle all to himself. But now that they were dating, and there were all those ugly rumors about the Miracles floating around, Himuro was a lot less forgiving towards such sentiments.

“At least Atsushi never has to insult other people to feel better about himself,” Himuro says loudly. When the girl looks back to him, looking as if he’d just her, he smiles his most gentlemen like smile. “Those kinds of people are the worst, don’t you think?”

At lunch time, he sits on Murasakibara’s lap and plays with his hair. He ties Murasakibara’s hair up into two little pigtails while Murasakibara munches on some potato chips with extreme indifference. Himuro even borrowed two pink hair clips from a classmate.

“You know, Himuro’s kind of terrifying sometimes,” Liu mentions when he sees Murasakibara show up to practice in pigtails.

“Oh yeah,” Fukui agrees. “Have you seen that guy play poker? The dude is scary.”


	4. My Heart Is Like the Ocean (It Gets in the Way)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroko visits Hinata in Miyagi. Kageyama doesn't like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lovely anon requested more on Kuroko's visit to Hinata in Miyagi. And I just posted it on tumblr, but I also wanted to put it on Archive right away, since I know a lot of people were interested in seeing more of the Haikyuu side of things in Designation:Miracle.
> 
> Title comes from "Take to the Sky" by Tori Amos.

Kageyama Tobio has never been the kind of person who was jealous of other people.

He never saw the point. The only thing that ever really mattered to him was volleyball, and it never occurs to him that there is anything someone can do in volleyball that he can’t also do and eventually surpass.

And he certainly never expected to be jealous over _Hinata._ For one thing, it would be pointless. Trying to possess all of Hinata’s love for only himself would be like trying to make it so no one else could enjoy sunny weather on a nice day but him. Everyone loves Hinata; that’s something Kageyama knew going into this relationship. Everyone loves Hinata and Hinata loves everyone. It’s still just a miracle that Hinata even reciprocates Kageyama’s feelings at all. He was pretty content just to be Hinata’s setter, but somehow he’s become Hinata’s boyfriend, and that still just dumbfounds him. Against all odds, he’s become someone _important_ to Hinata, and that’s more than he ever expected out of life.

But loving Hinata means sharing Hinata, and Kageyama’s OK with that. Hinata makes friends with everyone—random people on the street, players on opposing teams, old people waiting for the bus. If Kageyama got jealous every time Hinata texted someone else he’d never be anything else. He thinks that as long as he and Hinata can perform a freak quick with each other and no one else, as long as Hinata turns to him with a smile and a kiss after practice, then he knows he has an important place in Hinata’s heart and it doesn’t matter who else has bits of Hinata’s time.

Then Kuroko Tetsuya visits Miyagi.

*

Kageyama is not inclined to like Kuroko. Through not fault of his own, Kuroko caused the first major rift in Kageyama’s early relationship with Hinata. Kuroko is the reason Hinata outed himself to the world, Kuroko is the reason Hinata risked losing everything. Hinata would have thrown everything, _everything_ —volleyball, Karasuno, his family, _Kageyama_ —away to save Kuroko. Hinata risked losing it all to stand by his first friend, and God, given all that, how _could_ Kageyama think of the other boy with anything _but_ resentment?

Kageyama doesn’t think much of it. He knows Hinata still texts and talks to Kuroko, but Kuroko is in Tokyo. Kageyama isn’t threatened by Hinata’s relationship with Kuroko any more than he is of Hinata’s relationship with Kenma. (Arguably, Kenma poses the bigger threat, because he’s Hinata’s friend _and_ a setter. But it never occurs to Kageyama to object to their friendship. Maybe because Kuroo is jealous enough for both of them.)

But then one day Kuroko is _there,_ at practice. Kageyama isn’t sure he would even have noticed at first, except everyone else makes a pretty big deal out of having another Miracle on the court.

“This is so awesome, Tetsuya!” Nishinoya says, slapping the visitor on the back. “All the Miracles should come play volleyball!”

_No,_ Kageyama thinks.

“I only know the basics,” Kuroko says apologetically. “Shouyou-kun has been teaching me the rules. He said Nishinoya-senpai is the best at receives, and that I should ask you for tips.”

“Did you hear that?” Nishinoya booms, thumping Kuroko on the back again. “He called me Senpai!”

“Receives are a good place to start, but it’s the spike! The spike you should learn first!” Tanaka interjects.

“Thank you, Tanaka-senpai. But I am sure I could never have a particularly strong spike.”

Tanaka beams. He clearly enjoys being addressed as “senpai” too. “That’s OK! Neither does Hinata!”

“Hey!”

The team laughs, and practice is completely derailed by Kuroko’s appearance. They each take turns teaching Kuroko has to receive a volleyball and Kageyama hates the fact that the boy is actually pretty good at controlling where the ball goes when he touches it mid-air. He probably _would_ make a good setter, like Hinata had predicted so long ago, and this makes Kageyama hate him even more.

“Oi, Kageyama! Come toss for Tetsuya, will you?” Hinata calls.

The current ball Kageyama is tossing goes heavily askew and he sends it flying out of bounds. “No,” he says.

“Kageyamaaa,” Hinata whines.

“If no one is actually going to practice, I’m going home,” Kageyama announces. “This is a waste of time.”

He heads to the lockers without looking back.

*

“Don’t be mean to Tetsuya,” Hinata says, his voice with a dangerous hint.

“I’m not,” Kageyama scowls.

“Yeah, you are. You’re being kind of a dick,” Hinata says. They’re having dinner and Kuroko took a step outside to receive a phone call. “He’s my friend, Kageyama. I want him to like you.”

Does it matter if I like him? Kageyama doesn’t ask. He doesn’t want to hear it if Kuroko’s opinion matters more to Hinata than his.

*

“Hello, Kageyama-kun.”

The voice comes out of no where, and it startles Kageyama so badly he drops his milk carton. “Don’t do that!” he snarls.

“I apologize,” Kuroko says politely.

Hinata has explained that Kuroko’s ability made it so he was difficult to remember, which made it easy for the Miracle to sneak up on others. Kageyama didn’t quite understand what that meant until now. He scowls fiercely because he doesn’t like surprises. “Where’s Hinata?” he grunts, looking around for his boyfriend. The two had been practically joined at the hip since Kuroko came.

“I believe he is buying meat buns at a shop,” Kuroko says.

Kageyama doesn’t really have anything to say to that so he just grunts again.

“Kageyama-kun does not need to be concerned about my relationship with Shouyou-kun. Shouyou-kun is very devoted to you. And I also have a boyfriend.”

This comes out of no where and it makes Kageyama flush. Jesus, did the guy have to be so straightforward like that? He certainly didn’t pull any punches. And how could he just stand there and passively talk about his boyfriend without any indication of embarrassment?

“I’m not concerned,” Kageyama says, not meeting the other boy’s reproachful gaze. “It doesn’t matter to me who Hinata talks to.”

The boy doesn’t say anything. His silence somehow says more than most other people’s verbal accusations.

Kageyama sighs and finally meets the boy’s gaze. It’s pretty weird looking at pale blue eyes and pale blue hair. The boy couldn’t be more different from Hinata if he tried. He was calm and expressionless and really difficult to read.

“You’re important to him,” Kageyama admits gruffly. “It doesn’t matter that you’re not dating. You were his first friend. No one else will ever have that. No one is ever going to be as important to him as you are.”

Kuroko is silent for a long time and Kageyama wants to crawl into a hole somewhere and die. He can’t believe he said that. He wants to take it back, pretend this whole awful conversation never happened.

“I would not be the person I am today if it was not for GM-O394,” Kuroko says finally.

Kageyama blinks, wondering what the hell Kuroko is even talking about, and then he belatedly remembers Hinata’s introduction during the Special Diet and it occurs to him Kuroko is talking about _Hinata._

“No one could ever replace GM-O394,” Kuroko continues. “What Orange and I went through together is not something other people could even understand—it’s not something even the other Miracles could understand. But GM-O394 died in Teiko. That is what Shouyou-kun told me last night. And I understood what he meant by that. I am not GM-B452 anymore. We are not Orange and Black. I do not know Hinata Shouyou all that well, but I am trying to get to know him better.”

He doesn’t finish the sentence. He doesn’t need to tell Kageyama that Hinata Shouyou’s most important person is Kageyama Tobio, that’s something Kageyama knows.

“You should visit more often,” Kageyama says gruffly. “I’ll teach you how to toss.”

“Thank you, Kageyama-kun. I will visit again. But I do not think I will need a lesson. I prefer basketball to volleyball.”

Kageyama shakes his head. He’s probably never going to understand this guy.

*

Kageyama doesn’t mean to overhear Hinata’s conversation with Kuroko when they take him to the train station. He came to see the boy off, and he wants to be respectful of Hinata’s relationship with his friend. So he stands to the side and tries not to listen in, but somehow he hears them anyway.

“Hey Black,” Hinata says, and it’s the first time Hinata hasn’t called him ‘Tetsuya’ and that’s why it catches Kageyama’s attention. “Do you ever just think about the fact that we made it? Both of us?”

“Yes,” Kuroko says, his voice low and strained. The other boy clears his throat. “Yes, Orange. I think about that a lot.”

Hinata beams. “I wish I could go back and let him know, you know? Both of them. The kids we were. I wish I could tell them both that no one’s going to scrap them and they’re both going to make it out and they’re going to be us, and it’ll be awesome.”

Kuroko doesn’t say anything and Kageyama’s pretty sure he can’t. He looks like he’s struggling to remain composed, and when Hinata hugs him Kageyama has to look away, because he’s pretty sure someone’s going to start crying any minute now and he’s pretty sure it’s him.

The boy Hinata was. Kageyama wishes he could talk to him too, sometimes. And sometimes he wishes he could talk to the boy that _he_ was—the lonely, miserable King of the Court. He needed to know it was going to OK too.

After Kuroko’s train disappears from view, Hinata slips his hand in Kageyama’s. “Thanks,” he says.

Kageyama looks at him in surprise. “For what?” He’d been fairly awful during Kuroko’s entire visit.

Hinata just shrugs, not replying.

Kageyama looks back at the disappearing train and off-hand suggests, “Maybe next time you should go visit him in Tokyo. Both of us could go.”

Hinata smiles up at him like dawn breaking. “Sure, Kageyama! That sounds fun.”


	5. We Don't Look Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> GM-Y626 meets Kasamatsu Youji for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested by a kind anon over on tumblr! 
> 
> Title, as always, comes from "And We Run" by Within Temptation.

When the man puts down his gun and kneels, his arms out in the universal gesture of “friend,” Red nudges Yellow forward.

“Kill him if you have to,” Red Orders, and Yellow must obey.

Yellow steps forward, armed with a smile and a knife up his sleeve.

*

This is what he does on missions: he initiates first contact. He is up close and personal with the target and he is always, always the most vulnerable. Closest to the enemy, with no way to defend himself but his training. He can’t run fast like Blue, he can’t take over a man’s will like Red, he can’t crush someone like Purple or send someone flying like Green; he can’t even disappear from sight like Black. He has to step forward, put himself in the spotlight, count on his charm and his wits, all while knowing if things turn sour, he will be the first to die.

(And maybe this is why he ran. Because Black said, “If we stay we’re all going to die some day” and he believed him. He’s a Success, he’s strong, there’s nothing he can’t do, no one he can’t be, but eventually, his luck will run out and he’ll be right up front when the slaughter happens. He is not an idiot. He wants to live.)

*

But Red says, “Go,” so he goes. Red says, “Kill him if you have to” so he will kill him, if he has to. He will take this risk because he is GM-Y626 and that’s what he’s designed to do.

*

_You are a beautiful lie,_ his maker told him. _And you will always be a lie._ He wishes, vaguely, that he was in some Copy because he feels most comfortable confronting danger when he’s wearing someone else’s face.

But at all times, he wears a mask; now is no different.

*

He was one of the only Projects specially trained to recognize emotional cues in the human expression. The man, this soldier, is not scared of him; this man does not see a threat. (Foolish, Yellow thinks. This man has dropped his guard. How easy it would be to slip a knife in his ribs, how easy it would be to snap his neck.)

Instead, the man is alarmed; screaming at his men to stand down and reaching towards Yellow.

Yellow must wear a mask so he wears a frightened mask. He feigns fear because this man looks protective. He acts like the world around him—the guns, the terror, the threat to his life—is not something he has lived and breathed since he was born.

He steps forward; and it is a risk—he could die, this could all end in bloodshed—but he is not scared like the mask he wears; he is prepared to kill and he steps forward.

*

The man grabs him, pulls him close. It takes all his training not to fight back. Arms are wrapped around him.

“You’re OK,” the man says. Yellow can feel the man’s heart beating against his chest, can hear it drumming in his ears over the sound of shouts and gunfire.

The man’s heart is fast, so fast; he is scared, he must be, but not of Yellow.

“You’re OK,” he says again. “You’re going to be OK. You’re fine.”

Yellow holds onto him, burying his face in the man’s chest. He needs no such reassurances. But he pretends he does, pretends he needs to hear the words, pretends that everything is going to be fine.

*

“I’m Kasamatsu Youji,” he says. “What’s your name?”

Yellow knows adults have names. He’s been on enough missions Out that he knows this, even if he’s never thought of _anyone_ by a name. It’s always “doctor” or “maker” or “target.”

He’s Copied people with names; he’s had to answer to a dozen different names that were never his. He could make something up on the spot but all he says is, “Yellow” which is not his name, but it’s the closest thing he has.

“Yellow,” the man says, gripping his hand tight. “You’re safe now. No one is ever going to hurt you again.”

Yellow doesn’t believe him. Of course he doesn’t believe him.

But even then, at that moment, he thinks about how Kasamatsu Youji is the first adult (the first _person_ ) who ever introduced himself to Yellow.


	6. Meadow, Family, Glasses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Takao and Kishitani family spend time together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was doing another ask meme over on tumblr, and @residentdelinquentfather asked for MidoTaka was the words "meadow, family, glasses." Since I'd been meaning to write more family fluff for those two, I put it in the Designation: Miracle universe.

Ayumi comes home from school one day and promptly bursts into tears. Takao and Nobuko hover over her like anxious hummingbirds. Takao is already planning on hunting someone down and bringing fiery death upon the head of whoever hurt his sister. (He’ll get Midorima involved; hell, he’ll get all the Miracles involved; they owe him fiery death at his beck and call after all the near death experiences they’ve put him through.)

“Honey, what’s wrong?” Nobuko asks. “Talk to us sweetie, how can we make it better?”

“You can’t,” Ayumi sobs.

“Is it someone at school? A teacher?” Nobuko asks.

“Is it a boy? Did you fail a test?” Takao asks.

“Worse,” Ayumi says. _“I need glasses._ ”

*

“I don’t understand,” Ayumi wails. “I’m a Takao! Takaos have great eyesight!”

Takao does feel like this is a bit of a let down. He wanted a hawk-eyed little sister to carry on his legacy. How adorable would that have been?

“It’s OK,” Takao soothes. “You’ll be like Shin-chan!”

This, for some reasons, makes Ayumi cry even harder.

*

“But you look adorable, Ayumi-chan!” Naoko says. “I wish I had glasses like Onii-sama!”

“I hate my life,” Ayumi says.

“I hardly see why such a fuss is necessary,” Midorima says crossly.

“Don’t help, Shin-chan,” Takao tells him.

They’re having a picnic to make Ayumi feel better about her newly-acquired glasses. Nobuko had thought inviting Naoko, as Ayumi’s best friend, would help her feel better about the whole affair, which somehow become a joint family outing with the Kishitanis. The fact that they’re all having a picnic in a meadow is starting to feel a little too idyllic for Takao’s taste. It’s like they’re on an episode of _The Brady Bunch._ Or worse, like he’s on a double-date with his mom.

“You can get contacts when you’re older,” Nobuko tells her daughter.

“Why don’t you get contacts?” Takao asks Midorima, realizing that it’s not something he’s ever asked his boyfriend before.

“I like wearing glasses. It makes me look different.”

It’s on the tip of Takao’s tongue to tease Midorima—the two meter tall green haired lucky item carrying boy didn’t _need_ anything extra to make him look different—when he remembers 7284. Midorima had been created in a batch of five. He’d grown up with four other identical faces around him. He could hardly fault Midorima for wanting to look different.         

Midorima pushes up his glasses. “Plus, I find them useful.”

Takao bursts out into startled laughter—Midorima _would_ appreciate the nuanced expressions of disdain he could capture with a pair of glasses.

“I think glasses look very distinguished,” Naoko announces.

“I am going to be the target of every megane fetishist for miles around!” Ayumi cries.

Dr. Kishitani chokes on his tea.

“Ayumi! How do you even know that term?” Nobuko scolds.

“I watch anime!”

“That is not a real thing,” Midorima says.  
  
“I got it a little,” Takao murmurs privately to his boyfriend, enjoying the way Midorima blushes.

“Ayumi, you look fine,” Nobuko says firmly. “And this is the last time I want to hear you pouting about it.” She shoots her son a pointed look like she knows he was making lecherous innuendos to his boyfriend. Takao does his best to look innocent.

*

“Takao-kun, are you dating Shintarou?” Dr. Kishitani asks when they have a private moment together.

Takao raises a brow. “I don’t know, Kishitani-sensei, are you dating my mom?”

Dr. Kishitani clears his throat. “I withdraw my question.”

“Sounds good,” Takao says. Naoko is trying on Ayumi’s glasses, while Midorima helps Nobuko clean up their picnic. This is his family now, he realizes. It’s nice. Meadows and Brady Bunch and all.


	7. Amusement Park, Family, Map

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @enter21 asked for Kuroko and Momoi as friends with the words "amusement park, family, map" and once again, I couldn't resist putting it in the Designation: Miracle universe.

“Momoi-san,” Kuroko says, keeping his voice very polite. “Pardon me for asking, but, are we lost?”

Momoi pulls herself up very straight and says, “Tetsu-kun, I am a genetically superior super woman. I was designed for intelligence, analysis, and the ability to process immense quantities of information simultaneously. My ability to strategize and think is so sophisticated no one on this earth has even the smallest glimmer of what it’s like in my mind. I will not be undone by an _amusement park._ ”

“Yes, but, _are_ we lost?”

Momoi’s shoulders slump. “Yes.”

*

The double-date had been Momoi’s idea. Or rather, she was the one who manipulated the events such that the double-date would take place.

Meaning, she’d hacked Kagami’s cellphone planner, knew he and Kuroko were coming to MM Land this day, and then wheedled Aomine until he consented to being here, staging the whole thing to as one great coincidence.

(It’s not _her_ fault she has to take such measures. Aomine and Kagami would have never agreed to the double date, and she wanted to spend time with Kuroko somewhere other than a basketball court for once.)

But Aomine and Kagami, being Aomine and Kagami, had of course immediately began an intense competition at the game center. One that showed no signs of ever ceasing until one of them was dead or they were both banned from ever coming back (an event that was looking more and more likely) so Momoi and Kuroko had snuck off to see the butterfly exhibit.

What happened next was a little less clear.

There was a crying child, and an escaped balloon, and Kuroko trying to help and a parade of teddy bears and a few costumed duck people Momoi thought were a little too friendly with where they put their wings, and somehow, Momoi and Kuroko ended up in a secluded area with no one else around and no idea how they got there.

*

“I have the map in my head,” Momoi wails. “If we only knew _where_ we were, I could pinpoint our location exactly and find our way back to the game center.”

“I would settle for the presence of another person,” Kuroko admits. “It is a bit disconcerting that no one is around.”

“I’ve been trying to retrace our steps against the map too,” Momoi sniffs. “But it makes no _sense_. All my recalculations say we should be in the middle of a gift store. Do _you_ see a gift store anywhere?”

She’s aware that she’s sounding uncharacteristically irritable. But she’s run through their steps in her head over and over again, matching it against the map of the amusement park, and the results never vary. To make matters worse, Momoi left her purse with Aomine when she went off with Kuroko, and so neither of them have cell phones, thus, she can’t hack into anything. It makes her justifiably cranky. Not having access to information feels like someone has put a blindfold and noise canceling headphones over her.

A hand clasps her shoulder and Momoi looks up to see Kuroko smiling at her. “It will be alright, Momoi-san. If we keep walking, I am sure we will figure something out.”

Momoi sniffles again and nods.

It’s hardly the worst situation they’ve ever been in.

Kuroko takes her hand in his and they start walking.

*

When she first learned what love was, she was sure she was in love with Kuroko. He always made her feel better—he knew exactly what to say, what to do, in order to make her smile. He listened to her whenever she wanted to complain about something; he was usually the first person to make sure she was alright in a threatening situation. He was considerate in small ways that the others never really managed.

She _wanted_ to be in love with Kuroko.

But she never wanted to kiss him. When she was younger, that was a hard thing to understand. How she could love someone so much and have him mean so much to her and not be attracted to him whatsoever.

Puberty had been a confusing time for all the Miracles. She always insisted she had it worse though. None of the boys ever tried to argue with her on that point.

*

“Does it bother _you_ how similar they are?” she asks, mostly to keep her mind off of the fact that she has no idea where they are (and she _hates_ not knowing something, she hates it more than anything else in the world, not knowing something, not being able to find out the answer, is the worst thing ever. She feels like she’s on the brink of madness.) “Dai-chan and Kagamin?”

“I have never thought they were particularly similar,” Kuroko replies.

“Oh, _that’s_ a load of crock!” she scoffs. “If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought Kagamin was created in Teiko along with us! In the same batch as Dai-chan, only in a different color.”

“They have superficial similarities. But they have very different personalities.”

“But you know what this means, right? It means we have the same taste in men, how weird is that?”

“I wholeheartedly disagree with Momoi-san’s supposition.”

“Oh but we do, we do!” She privately marvels at the fact that she’s having this conversation with Kuroko. It’s the kind of thing she might have talked about with Kise, but it would have never occurred to young-Momoi to talk about boys with Kuroko. She finds that she likes it. “If I wasn’t dating Dai-chan and Kagamin was available, I’d be all over that in a hot second. Don’t look at me like that, Tetsu-kun! I don’t think it’s possible to find Dai-chan attractive and _not_ be attracted to Kagamin.”

“ _I_ _absolutely disagree with that logic,”_ Kuroko says, in a vaguely strangled voice. Momoi chokes back a laugh at how appalled he sounds at the implications regarding the reversal of Momoi’s claim.

“It’s just us, Tetsu-kun,” Momoi wheedles. “You can tell me. Are you really going to say you _never_ thought Dai-chan was attractive? Not even once?”

“Of course not,” Kuroko replies. “We are family. One does not find family attractive, in that sense of the word.”

_Oh,_ Momoi thinks. _Is that it?_

*

“What are the two of you doing here?” someone shouts angrily. They whirl around and see a man in some sort of doctor’s scrubs approaching them. “This is a restricted area! You’re not allowed to be back here!”

Momoi freezes, still possessing a slight phobia of men in white lab coats. Kuroko squeezes her hand and glows black, and Momoi watches the man’s gaze melt from anger to befuddlement to disinterest. He starts walking and the two follow him quietly back out into the park.

*

Momoi bursts out laughing when they make it outside again. _Of course_ they were in restricted area. That’s why it wasn’t on the map. She would have been able to look that up, if she’d had her phone.

“Do you know where we are now, Momoi-san?” Kuroko asks.

“Yes, I can get us back to our idiots now,” Momoi says, her breath hitching as the laughter dies. She smiles at Kuroko and says something she thought she’d never tell him, “You know, Tetsu-kun, I always wished I was in love with you. Sometimes I think it would have been easier if we’d just loved each other.”

“Yes,” Kuroko says, surprising her. “But I like the relationship we have, Momoi-san. You are my precious family. I would not want to change that for the world.”

Momoi ducks her head, letting her hair fall over her face so he won’t see her smile.

*

Kagami and Aomine have won a truly impressive amount of stuffed animals. They’re banned from the gaming center for the rest of the day, but not the park like she feared, so she’s ready to call the day a win. Kuroko also lets her have first pick from the accumulated animal pile, since neither Aomine nor Kagami can remember who won what although they’re both insisting they won the largest one.

“We should do this again sometime,” Kuroko says.

She casts a sidelong glance at their boyfriends. “Really?”

“Yes. It was fun. Although I am sorry that Momoi-san always has to be the only girl. It must be lonely, sometimes.”

“Not at all,” Momoi says loftily. “I like being surrounded by men. I like pretending I have a harem.”

Aomine chokes on his cotton candy.


	8. I'm Not Standing Still (I Am Lying in Wait)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt requested by @key-ei, who wanted Akashi reluctant to introduce Furihata to his father, with bonus points if marriage and his pony was mentioned =D  
> (Slight edits from where it appeared on tumblr)
> 
> Title taken from "Wait For It" by the Hamilton Cast

“May I ask why you spent over eight thousand dollars at MM Land the other week?”

Akashi looks up from his breakfast, to see his adoptive father sifting through bills while drinking coffee. They did not often share their meals together—Masaomi was usually too busy working to remember to eat and Akashi’s various private lessons throughout the day usually meant he had very little time to spare for anything but a quick bite. When they did sit down for meals, Masaomi insisted it be “proper”—with multiple courses and a truly ridiculous amount of food on fine china. Akashi thinks it is his attempt to be parental.

“Does it bother you that I did?” Akashi returns. He knows for a fact that amount of money is _literally_ pocket change to Masaomi, the man once lost more than that when he fell in a lake and lost his wallet; he regularly spends that amount on a pair of shoes; Masaomi once told him that anything less that a million dollars probably wasn’t worth buying to begin with. Surely the _amount_ cannot be distressing him. Akashi earns ten times that amount a week just by helping Masaomi on his business endeavors.

“No, of course not. It just seems… _out of character._ I was curious.”

“Ah.” Akashi acknowledges this is true. He doesn’t make a lot of extravagant purchases. “It was a necessary expense in order to properly wage a strategic psychological battle against worthy opponents regarding a beneficial partnership of romantic inclinations.”

“And were you victorious?”

“Naturally.”

“Well, that’s fine then.”

*

“Wait, did you say _a beneficial partnership of romantic inclinations?_ ” Masaomi asks three days later, storming into Akashi’s room during his violin practice.

Akashi puts down his violin and arches a brow. “Yes. I did.”

“As in _yours?_ ”

“I would not have waged war for anyone else’s.”

“You’re _dating_ someone?”

“Yes, I do believe that is the popular parlance for the union.”

Masaomi stares at him, slack-jawed. Akashi is very pleased with himself. It is not often he wins in a battle against his father.

“You. Have a girlfriend.”

“That is incorrect,” Akashi says, feeling smug again (that was _another_ point for him against Masaomi). “I have a boyfriend.”

“You—ho—wha— _who?”_

“Does it matter?”

“Yes!” Masaomi says, indignation rising. “Of course it does! You are my heir; anyone dating my heir has to meet very exacting qualifications for excellence.”

“I would not date anyone unworthy,” Akashi says coolly.

“You can’t be trusted to pick your own partner! You’re seventeen!”

“I’ve been running the business side of your corporations for over a year now.”

“Yes, but you can’t be trusted with _romance._ You have—hormones!” Masaomi pauses and amends, “Or at least, I assume. You’ve never demonstrated much inclination previously.”

Akashi glows red and Orders, “Get out of my room now.”

(This is a point for Masaomi. It always is if Akashi has to resort to Absolute Order.)

*

“The kid you got abducted with, really?” Masaomi says, striding into the stables just as Akashi starts saddling Yukimaru.

“And what makes you say that?” Akashi says, pointedly not scowling. (This, he figures, is one point to Masaomi, which makes them tied.)

“I went through your phone records. And also maybe your computer. You can’t be seriously dating the guy who was abducted with you. That’s not romance, that’s a bizarre variant on Stockholm Syndrome.”

Akashi makes a mental note to have Momoi build his firewall next time. “Your opinion has been duly noted and discarded.”

“I insist on knowing your criteria for this romantic partnership. I cannot believe that you thought through all the proper qualifications when you made this decision.”

“I will send you an itemized list,” Akashi says, getting on his horse and setting off, leaving Masaomi behind in his literal dust. (He is going to count this as his point. Masaomi doesn’t know how to ride horses.)

*

“I want to meet him,” Masaomi demands, after reviewing Akashi’s list.

“Notion vetoed,” Akashi says.

“You can’t reject this notion. Item number fifty-one suggests that you intend on marrying this boy, which, by the way, is illegal in Japan—”

“I imagine it will not be all that difficult to get that law changed,” Akashi responds. Even if people didn’t literally have to obey his every Order, he knows Masaomi has some very high ranking politicians on his payroll. Persuading them to change a law will most likely be easier than the maneuverings it took to get Aida Riko to agree to his relationship with Furihata.

“—And furthermore, only illustrates the naiveté of your thinking. No one marries their high school sweetheart.”

“‘Akashis are above all else a law unto themselves. We do not do what everyone else does,’” Akashi quotes one of the first things Masaomi ever told him, and when Masaomi scowls he files that as another point in his favor.

“At any rate, I have the right to meet the person who will be marrying into my estate, not to mention my billions.”

“Then after the marriage takes place I will be sure to set up an introduction.”

Masaomi squawks, and sputters but eventually crosses his arms and stares down sternly at him. (This is a point in Masaomi’s favor: he is significantly taller than Akashi and uses this to his advantage when he can. Akashi resents the hell out of this.) “I am the closest thing you have to a father, young man!”

“I’m not sure you want to make _that_ argument,” Akashi says, smiling sweetly, “I killed the last man who could claim the same thing.”

Masaomi glares at him but doesn’t have a retort to that. (Akashi awards himself two points.)

“And why exactly can’t I meet him? Are you ashamed of him?” Masaomi returns.

“Don’t be absurd. I have only recently become triumphant in what was quite a lengthy courtship endeavor. I will not do anything to risk jeopardizing this union until I am more confident I have ensured a long-term commitment.”

There’s a beat and Akashi takes this opportunity to move past Masaomi. From behind, he hears Masaomi sputter, _“You’re embarrassed by_ me?!”

Akashi counts this as officially his win.

*

Bonus:

 

“And then! And then he said he was embarrassed by me, can you believe that?” Masaomi shrieks into the phone.

“We’re all embarrassed by you, Masaomi,” Youji replies.

“Youji, you are a terrible friend.”

“Mm,” Youji says, noncommittally. He puts the phone to his shoulder as Kise walks past. “Does Akashi really have a boyfriend now?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, Furihatacchi,” Kise says, shrugging.

“Furihata Kouki? The kid who was abducted with him?” Youji frowns. “I thought you only added ‘cchi’ to people you respected.”

Kise stares at him incredulously. “The dude’s _dating_ Akashi. Like, _willingly._ That is hands down the most impressive thing anyone on this earth has ever accomplished. I don’t understand it, but I respect the hell out of it.”

“Oh, good point,” Youji says, he puts the phone back to his ear.

“—Youji? Youji are you listening to me?”

“Absolutely, Masa-chan, I heard everything you just said. Anyway, if it matters so much, why don’t you just go to Tokyo and meet the kid yourself? I have never known you to wait for an invite.”

“Are you kidding me?” Masaomi demands, “Then Seijuurou will _win._ ”

Youji hangs up on him.


	9. Meeting Aomine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An anonymous person asked for something with Aomine and Touou over on tumblr, and since I'm planning on writing an AoMomo story some day, I didn't want to focus too much on him and so focused on Imayoshi instead.

The first time the Miracles intersect with Imayoshi Shouichi’s life, it’s because his sister wants something from him.

Imayoshi had very little interest in the Miracles. Not for any particular reason except perversity; anything the public liked to make a big deal about was something he found inherently boring.

When he sister comes home one day, lounging on the couch and staring at him with that intently silent catlike way of hers, he knows she wants something from him but he’s willing to play it out. He’s a fisherman. He can wait all day. She gives in first.

“I don’t suppose you’d be interested in meeting the Miracles,” she drawls.

Imayoshi snorts. “No, I don’t suppose I would.”

*

Sayuri has never talked about the Miracles at home, but it doesn’t come as a surprise that she works with them. Imayoshi knows she’s in Sergeant Kasamatsu’s squad, and _that_ guy has been all over the news connected to the escaped Teiko experiments.

Her asking this question now suggests more than just a cursory involvement with the Miracles. Which Imayoshi finds fascinating, for many reasons, but doesn’t particular pique his interest in the way she wants.

*

“Michiru Obaa-san is going to send Ryou-kun.”

Imayoshi cackles in an undignified manner. Sayuri has this wonderfully annoyed older sister look.

“Yes, fine, _I_ know that’s going to end horribly. I’m not so sure how _you’re_ so positive.”

He holds up a finger. “You wouldn’t be asking for people to come visit the Miracles on base if you didn’t think it was necessary.” He holds up a second finger, “You wouldn’t think it necessary if they were well-adjusted children.” He holds up a third finger. “Children in need of socialization are going to eat Ryou alive.”

“But not you,” Sayuri returns with a sidelong glance in his direction. “You wouldn’t be easily pushed around by those kids.”

“Probably not,” he replies.

“Scared of the challenge?” Sayuri taunts.

And his sister really should know better than to try reverse psychology on him. “It’s just too boring.”

“Tch,” she says, giving up. She can’t honestly have thought she’d have much luck convincing him, anyhow.

*

The first time Imayoshi hears about Aomine in particular, it’s from Sakurai Ryou, his cousin who lives next door.

It is not particularly unusual to come home and find Sakurai sobbing in his living room. The whole reason the two households were next door to each other was so that the children would always have somewhere to go while their parents were working. And Sakurai crying was hardly newsworthy. He cries _a lot._

Imayoshi knows that as his older cousin and potential senpai for when Sakurai inevitably attends Touou next year, it is his duty to try and see why Sakurai is crying this time. Instead, he starts preparing his after practice snack and leisurely drinks his tea.

“I can’t go back there,” Sakurai eventually cries out, unprompted.

“There” Imayoshi realizes, must be the JSDF base. He remembers now that today was the day they were beginning to introduce Miracles to “normal” kids.

“Oh?” Imayoshi says, not particularly interested.

“He’s going to kill me!”

This is slightly more interesting but not enough to distract him from his meal. “Oh, really? And who is this, now?”

“Aomine-kun.”

One of the Miracles, no doubt, but Imayoshi has never paid much attention to which one was which. He’s betting it’s the blue one, though.

“And what did you do?”

“He thought I was flirting with his girlfriend!”

Imayoshi laughs so hard actual tears come down his eyes. “ _You?_ Good job, Ryou. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“I don’t! I definitely don’t! I wasn’t! I wouldn’t dare! I tried apologizing—I apologized to the _world_ but it didn’t work! I can never show my face in public again, he could kill me at any moment. I would never even see him come—would you stop laughing? It’s not funny.”

Imayoshi disagrees. It’s _hysterical._

*

He meets Aomine for the first time because of his coach.

“The Miracles are allowed to attend high school next year,” Harasawa says. Imayoshi knew this. Sayuri hadn’t mentioned it, she liked being close-lipped that way, but his aunt had said something.

“I want one,” Harasawa says.

“Seems kind of a waste, dontcha think?” Imayoshi asks. “It’s not like they can play.”

“Takeuchi thinks it’s possible. He’s been bragging that Kise Ryouta will be going to Kajio. And if that bastard gets one then I want one.”

Imayoshi thinks Harasawa’s relationship with his old team is a complicated bundle of one-upmanship and schadenfreude. Most days, it’s a source of delight.

“You have connections, don’t you? Through your sister?”

“Sure,” Imayoshi says, “I’ll see what I can do.”

*

He doesn’t tell his sister when he comes to base, and he isn’t looking for Aomine in particular, but he finds him, as if it was fate, playing basketball against five soldiers.

Imayoshi watches, entranced, as Aomine proceeds to wipe the floor with all of them on his own. He doesn’t look happy about his victory, or even particularly smug. If anything, he looks bored.

“Impressive,” Imayoshi says when Aomine is close enough to hear.

Aomine takes him in and dismisses him with once glance. “The only one who can beat me is me.”

“Sure,” Imayoshi says easily. “But what good is it if you can’t prove it?”

“What?” Aomine snarls, stopping abruptly.

“Well, it’s kinda lame if you only ever play here, dontcha think? It’s not like they’re players.”

“I can win against anyone, anytime,” Aomine rages.

“Sure you can.”  
“But any stupid human school would want me to _practice._ And I don’t need that.”

“Touou wouldn’t,” Imayoshi says confidently. “That’s assuming you actually _could_ win, though. We wouldn’t want you if you were all talk.”

Aomine starts to sputter and Imayoshi leaves at this point, because any good fisherman knows you can’t rush things after you set the bait.

*

The first time Aomine gets the better of him the Miracle isn’t even around.

“So you met Daiki, then,” Sayuri says that night, and it’s hardly surprising she knows but it is annoying.

“Coach wants him at our school,” Imayoshi replies.

“He’s going to your school,” Sayuri says. “That hardly warranted a trip.”

“He is?”

“Oh yes,” Sayuri says, smiling. “He’ll be living with us. Didn’t I tell you?”

Imayoshi refuses to give her the satisfaction of reacting to this news.

“Good,” he says easily. “We’ll get him to join the team.”

Sayuri snorts. “Good luck with that.”

And he’s more determined than ever to make sure Aomine plays for Touou, if only to rub it in Sayuri’s face.


	10. Black and Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An anonymous person over on tumblr requested an exploration into Aomine and Kuroko's friendship, so this is what I came up with =D

Here are the things that defined Black and his relationship to Blue:

Blue was the first one, after Orange, to know Black existed.

“What the hell,” Blue said, snorting out laughter, “A couple other Blue Fives said there was a ghost in here. You’re not, right?”

“No,” Black said, who did not know what a ghost was. “I am ‘Orange’s Imaginary Friend.’”

“What the—you mean you’re in my Generation? You should have said! Come on, you got to meet the others.”

“I have met them,” Black said. “A couple of times. They keep forgetting me.”

“Well, this time they’ll meet you,” Blue said. “I’ll make sure they remember you.”

And this time, they had. Later, Black would think it was because Blue was incredibly _noticeable._ His presence made everything shine brighter, even Black.

*

Blue was the first one to defend Black and Orange.

“They have a use,” he said. “They can help us on missions.”

He singled Black out in particular, because it was widely accepted that Orange’s skill as a lookout was helpful.

“Draw attention away from me,” he said. “And I’ll do all the work.”

It was a surprisingly effective method. And it marked a time in Black’s life when he felt almost like a Success.

*

Blue was also the first one to give up on him.

Black isn’t sure when the exact shift happened. Some time after they broke Blue’s legs for running too far. Some time after Orange died, but well before Pink decided she had to get out of Teiko.

“The only one who can beat me is me,” he said one night after a mission. “I don’t need you to cover for me anymore, Black.”

And he didn’t, none of them did, maybe none of them _ever_ did, that wasn’t the point.

At the time, it was like Blue was saying, “I don’t need you alive anymore.”

It took him a long, long time to figure out that wasn’t the issue at all.

*

Here are a few things that define Kuroko and Aomine:

At some point in their stay at the JSDF base, Kuroko couldn’t handle being around the other Miracles anymore, and this is, in part, because of Aomine.

Kuroko wants more than anything to have kinship with these people who are the only people in the world who could ever truly know him. He wants them to be family, to be a team, to be friends.

Aomine and the others kept scoffing at his efforts and it hurts. It hurts especially coming from Aomine, who had once been the first one to make him ever feel included in a whole.

The others, perhaps, will never know how close he came to walking away forever. Perhaps the only one who guessed was General Fujimaki.

*

When Aomine and Touou destroyed Seirin in basketball that first time, Kuroko would have forgiven him if Aomine had actually cared about basketball. But instead, it was just another product of Teiko: victory at all cost.

*

After the win, in the second game, something heals. Kuroko asks Aomine to teach him how to shoot a basket, not because he is the best (he certainly is no where near the right person to actually _teach_ anything) but purely because Kuroko wants to see if they can repair what was broken.

*

Momoi says, “They’re alike, don’t you think? Kagamin and Dai-chan.” She says it over and over again, but Kuroko never once agrees. Kagami, in his opinion, is the exact opposite of Aomine in almost every way.

*

It’s strange, but sometimes it seems like Kagami and Aomine are better friends than Aomine and Kuroko ever were. This is made hilarious by the fact that they both adamantly deny this is the case.

They go out sometimes, the four of them, and it is almost always ends up in some sort of competition between Aomine and Kagami, with Momoi and Kuroko at the sidelines, chatting.

But one day, Momoi goes to get food for everyone and she insists Kagami help her.

In the silence that follows Kuroko thinks about his relationship with Aomine, and Black’s relationship with Blue, and how much he still wants kinship with all the people who are his siblings.

“I am glad Aomine-kun gets along well with Kagami-kun,” Kuroko says, and he is trying to say, _I am glad we are still family._

And, for once, Aomine does not sputter out denials and he says, “If he hurts you, I would have to kill him. But I don’t know. I guess he’s the only one I trust not to do that.”

And this, Kuroko thinks, is Aomine’s way of saying, _We will always be family, no matter what._


	11. Rakuzan and Furihata

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The request on tumblr was for Furihata meeting Rakuzan, which still hasn't happened yet, but I do love more Akashi and Rakuzan interactions =D

“What do you mean we can’t meet him?” Reo says indignantly. “Sei-chan!”

Akashi regards the three Uncrowned Kings (plus Mayuzumi) in a cool and imperious way. “I do believe I was very clear in my phrasing, Mibuchi-san, but I will say it again. You are not allowed to meet Furihata-kun.”

“Sei-chan! You can’t mean that!”

“That’s cold, dude,” Hayama says reproachfully.

“And after all we did to help you!” Nebuya says indignantly.

“I am appreciative of your efforts, Nebuya-san,” Akashi says pleasantly, because it is important to stress that he is not ungrateful. But he also feels the need to point out, “Although, you all _did_ receive monetary compensation for your troubles, and some of you spent a lot on things that while I would never begrudge you, I can’t help but feel they were not, strictly speaking, all purchased with the altruistic motive of helping _me._ ”

“Hey, my spending money on seducing Izuki _was_ helping you. You said to distract. I distracted,” Hayama says.

“Indeed!” Reo says. “I assure you, all the gifts I bought myself were purely in the name of keeping Riko-chan and Aya-chan away from you! Which, honestly, was a tough job. Not like Mayuzumi. _He_ spent all your money for no reason at all.”

“Kasamatsu helped,” Mayuzumi says, completely unrepentant.

“And it was a fair exchange,” Akashi repeats. “As I said, I am very grateful for you and I’m glad you enjoyed yourselves. With my money.”

“But that’s not even the point!” Reo exclaims. “It’s not like we want to meet Furi-chan because you owe us!”

“Although, you do, kinda,” Hayama says.

“We want to meet Furi-chan because he’s your beloved partner!” Reo insists.

“He’s, like, the Empress of Rakuzan now,” Nebuya says. “We should meet our new Queen.”

“Don’t be gendered, Ei-chan,” Reo says, at the same time Mayuzumi says, “I dare you to say that to his face.”

“And, _come on,_ we don’t know anything about him!” Hayama says. “And I have questions! So many questions! I’ve been keeping a list.”

Hayama takes out his phone and shows the screen to the others.

“‘Question fourteen,’” Mayuzumi reads out loud, “‘Does Akashi use Absolute Order in the bedroom?’”

“You are never allowed to meet Furihata-kun,” Akashi says darkly.

“Sei-chan, don’t be cruel! I promise to be on my best behavior!”

“‘Question twenty,’” Mayuzumi reads, “‘Reo-nee wants to know if Akashi ever lets you top.’”

“ _Ever,_ ” Akashi emphasizes.

*

“Where are your friends?” Furihata asks when he arrives in Kyoto. “I thought we were going to hang out with them today?”

“They had other plans,” Akashi says smoothly, putting one arm around the other boy’s waist.

He’d fought long and had to be worthy of this boy, and they had precious little time together because of the long distance.

There was no way Akashi was going to share Furihata with anyone when they finally did get to have these moments together.


	12. Give Enough to Keep Sane (But I Never Lose Hope)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @pjohoofan requested a story about one of their missions at Teiko. And I had this whole headcanon for what happened in Shanghai, so I thought I would write about that. Honestly, it probably should have been a lot longer than this to really cover everything I wanted, buuut. Here it is anyway =D

It starts off innocently enough with a basketball game.

They do not, contrary to what one might expect, get together with the other Miracles all that often—not even the ones in Tokyo. When Kagami asked Kuroko why he didn’t see the people who were, for better or for worse, effectively his siblings more often, Kuroko had looked at him with a very reproving look and said, “We all have our own lives now.”

At the time, Kagami had thought about how it’s not like he talks to Himuro every day, and his father certainly didn’t talk all that often with _his_ siblings, so maybe it made a certain amount of sense. The Miracles rallied together for birthdays, basketball, crises, but other than that, they lived their own lives.

But occasionally, like now, Kise would visit Tokyo and he’d nag the others into meeting him for basketball in the park. (It took awhile for Kagami to figure out the trend for when this occurred, but apparently, Kise liked to visit Kasamatsu unannounced at his university dorm, and occasionally, would be promptly kicked out if the new university student had an important test to study for. Kise’s backup in this situation was to bother everyone else he knew in Tokyo).

Today, Kise had wrangled Kagami, Kuroko and Aomine. He’s not sure how Momoi got out of this one, but Midorima had been able to cry off due to prior engagement.

It was Aomine who started it first. He and Kagami were playing one on one, and then Aomine glowed blue and sped across the corner in less time it would take to blink.

“Hey!” Kagami had shouted, then sputtered, “What the hell, man?”

Aomine just laughed and Kuroko looked at his former light reproachfully. “Does Aomine-kun admit the only way he can beat Kagami-kun is by using his abilities?”

“As if,” Aomine scoffed. “I just always wanted to do that. Man, Kagami, sometimes I wish you weren’t human.”

And Kagami couldn’t even be too insulted by that because he was pretty sure that coming from Aomine, it was a compliment.

“Ooh!” Kise had said. “We should play superpowered basketball! That would be amazing!”

And Kagami wasn’t going to back down from a challenge, _any_ challenge, so he just laughed and said, “Bring it on! I’ll take on all of you, powers or no powers.”

“Oh, you’re going to regret saying that,” Aomine said.

“Then, I will be on Kagami-kun’s team,” Kuroko said, tugging on his wristbands and glowing black.

“Oh man, _yes,_ we should have done this ages and ages ago!” Kise cheered.

*

Kagami never goes into any fight thinking he might lose, no matter what the odds are. And even though Aomine can speed past him and across the court in the pace of a breath, even though Kise can systematically turn into any player from the Winter Cup, Kagami has Kuroko, so he never once feels like he’s at a disadvantage.

He isn’t surprised when they win, even though the others clearly are. Their surprise comes from the fact that they keep forgetting Kuroko’s existence, and also that they were playing basketball; Kagami only has about two seconds of gloating before Kuroko collapses and he has to catch him.

“Idiot! You didn’t need to push yourself for something like this!”

“It was worth it,” Kuroko says, with a small smile. He’s incredibly pale and shaking all over. “I will be fine, Kagami-kun. I just need to rest.”

Kagami picks him up and takes him to a grassy area underneath a tree, and then sits down with him so Kuroko’s head can rest in his lap. He places a wet towel on the other boy’s forehead, nudges him awake long enough to force some electrolytes in him, and then lets him sleep.

He’s so busy focusing on Kuroko that he barely registers when Aomine and Kise come over.

He is very absorbed in his task of taking care of Kuroko, so he’s not really acknowledging the other two. But when they start talking, he’s not sure how much _they_ understand that he’s still around and can hear them.

“You know what the weirdest thing about finding out Kurokocchi is a lot more powerful than we thought is?” Kise says, as he fans himself in the heat. “It’s how I keep thinking about what it means. And, when you think about how long he was planning our escape, what _that_ means. I keep thinking about—”

“Yeah, Kise, I know,” Aomine says, sounding tired and angry.

“ _Shanghai_ ,” Kise says, and the tone of his voice causes Kagami to tense. He’s never heard Kise sound so desperate, not even during that mess with Jabberwocky, or the Special Diet, or when Akashi and Furihata were abducted by Teiko.

“I keep thinking about Shanghai and what that means, and what Kurokocchi had to do—”

“I _know_ , Kise,” Aomine snaps.

Kise falls silent for a few seconds and then in a very quiet voice says, “No, Aominecchi. I don’t think you do.”

*

They didn’t usually have supervision on missions. Red and Gold, and then just Red, were usually trusted enough to take them out and then back again.

But some missions were different than others and sometimes there were supervisors.

The man who came with them to Shanghai was not a scientist, and he wasn’t a soldier. He wore a suit and carried himself like someone who was used to being obeyed.

“Your target is this man,” he said, throwing a picture on the table in front of them. “And you goal is to be discreet. No one can know you were ever there.”

“We are always discreet,” Red replied. He did not like it when outside authority tried to give them orders.

“This is different. All evidence you were there must be erased. You,” he pointed to Black. “You can erase memories, correct? Make sure everyone forgets everything connected to our presence.”

There was a silence at the table. In old days, someone would speak up for Black at this point, but times were not the same. Black had to defend himself. “My powers do not work that way. I can only erase memories pertaining to myself, and only temporarily. I can limit their awareness of the others but to completely erase everyone is beyond my capability.”

The man didn’t hesitate. “Then you do it.”

Once again, Black waited for someone else to speak, but it seemed that Red was waiting to see how he would respond.

“I will not,” Black said. “That is not my role.”

“I’m _saying_ it’s your role,” the man said, growing visibly irritated.

“I will _not_ ,” Black said again. “I will work with Blue, or one of the others, and I can minimize—”

The man moved suddenly, grabbing Black by the hair and slamming his face against the table. “And I said you _will,_ do you understand me?”

“Release him,” Red Ordered, and the man did so. “This mission will be done as you wish. I will make sure of that, but please leave disciplining my team to me.”

“See that it _does_ get done,” the men said.

*

Most people did not remember Black long enough to revisit such things but this man did.

He came in while Black, Pink and Yellow were coordinating, and he repeated his orders to Black.

Yellow was thinking that Black should just do it—no one _liked_ the missions, exactly, but everyone had to follow orders and why should he be an exception _anyway_?

“That is not what I do,” Black insisted.

“Just listen to—” Yellow started, but then the man grabbed Pink by her neck and pulled her to him.

“You will kill the mark, or the girl dies,” the man said, like it was simple math.

“Let her go,” Yellow snarled. “You can’t touch her, she’s a _Success._ ”

“Lot’s of awful things can happen to a young girl in a country like this,” he said. “Sometimes accidents just happen.”

“I’ll do it,” Yellow said. “I’m the better choice anyway. I’m better—”

“No,” the man said. “He has to. He has to know his place.”

And they all stared at each other for a long time; the only sounds were Pink muffled cries of pain and her attempts to breathe.

“I will do it,” Black said. “Please release her.”

*

And these are all the things that Kise keeps coming back to: that Kuroko could have erased himself from the man’s mind— _all_ the times Kuroko could have erased himself.

Every time he was punished, or sent to Room 101, or hit, or shocked.

He had to just _take_ it, knowing that he could stop it at any time by erasing their memory.

Every time he was punished, he _had_ to obey; because if he resisted then, his escape might not have been so effective later.

What incredible willpower that was. Kuroko had to take every abuse just so he and everyone else could escape later.

Kuroko killed a man. For Pink. But also for everyone. He killed someone so that they would have their chance at freedom later.

Kise’s not sure if the others realize that.

But then again, Kuroko had been willing to sacrifice a lot for his chance at freedom.

It was terrifying, in retrospect.

*

When Kagami brings Kuroko home he’s not expecting resolution—he’s used to having questions about their past, and he doesn’t like to pry.

But Kuroko was quiet all throughout dinner, and when they finish eating, before Kagami sits up to take the dishes to the sink, Kuroko says quietly, “I killed a man in Shanghai.”

Kagami stops. He glances back at Kuroko and sees the familiar look of the other boy’s guilt.

“I thought Kagami-kun should know that. He was an innocent man and I killed him in cold blood.”

It makes Kagami angry, but he works very hard to make sure that isn’t in his voice when he says, “I hope you weren’t expecting that to change how I feel about you.”

Kuroko looks down at his hands and then back up to him, smiling, close to tears. “I know Kagami-kun better than that by now. But it changes how I think of myself. It always will. No matter how much time passes, I will always know that I am capable of killing someone.”     

Kagami nods, because he figures that’s not really something that _does_ go away. “Then for as long as it takes, I’m just going to love you and everything you are.”     

Kuroko leans into Kagami’s chest. “Thank you, Kagami-kun.”


	13. Uranus and Neptune

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An anonymous person asked for MidoTaka. I had recently watched the Death Busters Arc in Sailor Moon Crystal, and I had a lot of feels.

“Wait, if there is a shorter version of the same series, why did you make me watch the version that was two hundred episodes long?” Midorima asks his little sister.

Naoko puffs up in offense, but it is Takao Ayumi who responds. “ _Sailor Moon Crystal_ is _not_ the same show as _Sailor Moon!_ You have to watch the original _first_! It’s an entirely different experience if you don’t!”

“Yeah, Shin-chan, come on. That should just be obvious,” Takao teases. Ayumi’s look of outrage at her older brother makes it clear his teasing is directed towards her.

“So far, the two shows seem remarkably similar,” Midorima remarks. “Only with fewer extraneous absurd-looking villains.”

“Wait until the second season!” Naoko exclaims. “It really picks up when Chibi-Usa comes. Then you’ll see, Onii-sama, the stories are vastly different.”

Takao and Midorima volunteered to baby-sit Naoko and Ayumi when both Nobuko and Dr. Kishitani had plans that evening. Neither Midorima nor Takao had the heart to explain to their respective parents that all of them, the little sisters included, knew their plans were with each other.

The two girls sit on the floor with a huge bucket of popcorn between them. Takao had claimed the couch for the older brothers “as divine right for the first and favorite children” but Ayumi had claimed the popcorn in retaliation. Midorima has to keep using his powers to lift handfuls of popcorn for both of them because Takao didn’t like having to bend down all the time to reach it.

The third episode starts, and Takao’s hand sneaks its way into Midorima’s. Midorima tenses automatically but he doesn’t pull away, and eventually he squeezes Takao’s hand in return.

He isn’t really paying attention to the TV show. He’s too busy thinking how he never would have expected to be here, if you told him this was his future three years ago.

*

When Momoi had shown them the files she had retrieved from Teiko, Midorima wasn’t entirely surprised by what he read about the Green Sevens. “Tendency towards psychopathy and anti-social behavior” was something he had experienced first hand with his own batch. He knew, objectively, that he _was_ an outlier—his own makers had remarked that the attachment he had to his Generation was unusual for a Green Seven. But he also knew that it was exceedingly unlikely he would ever be able to form a deeper bond with anyone.

At thirteen, he was sure that he wouldn’t even want those attachments, were they possible.

Caring for people, he rationed, never led to anything good.

*

The first time he ever admitted to himself that _maybe_ he was capable of those kinds of feelings after all was when the grey-eyed boy fell on top of him during a game of Tag.

It was, Midorima realized later, most likely a reaction to the fact that the grey-eyed boy was the first human that Midorima found he admired. Because he was the first human who ever made Midorima realize that there were things that Miracles could not do, although he did not share that realization with his Generation.

He had always been confident that there was absolutely no area that the Miracles did not excel at in every way. Nothing humans could do that the Miracles couldn’t do better and effortlessly as breathing.

But when the grey-eyed boy easily dissipated a budding fight with charm and a smile and then arranged a game everyone agreed to play, Midorima thinks, _Ah, we couldn’t do that._ Even Kise, unless he was in a Copy, did not possess the ability to put people at ease. Midorima is sure that it is certainly not something _he_ could ever do.

When the boy falls on top of him, Midorima has just enough time to think the boy is cuter up close before his natural revision to physical contact (and his own inner conflict over how appalled he is by his own thoughts) caused him to push the boy away.

He was, however, very regretful when the boy did not come back. But it was probably for the best anyway.

*

Takao reminded him of the grey-eyed boy when he first met him (and it was only much later when Midorima learned there was a very good reason for that).

After Kise pulled his prank and Midorima realized he had _feelings_ for Takao, Midorima instantly wished he never met the other boy.

He didn’t know how to _want._

He couldn’t stand the fact that he now had something to lose.

*

When he sat in a jail cell for crimes his twin committed, all he could think about was Takao. Takao was in danger, and it was all Midorima’s fault.

He thought about the fragility between the line of “human” and “monster” really was, because if something happened to Takao, surely all semblance of moral code would be erased and Midorima would become every inch a proper Green Seven.

*

It seemed, really, that peace was something that only other people could have.

But here Midorima is, sitting on a couch, holding hands with his boyfriend, watching a cartoon show while their little sisters hog the popcorn.

“I’m not saying the first two arcs are bad, I’m just saying everything is better once the Outer Senshi gets introduced,” Takao says.

“Who likes the Outer Senshi better than the Inner Senshi?” Ayumi exclaims.

“I do,” Takao says. “Everyone does!”

“You’re just saying that because I made you be Sailor Uranus.”

“Excuse you, you didn’t _make_ me be Sailor Uranus, I _insisted_ on being Sailor Uranus. She is the best. She has amazing legs.”

Ayumi frowns at her brother. “But you’re gay!”

“You don’t need to be straight to appreciate a fine pair of legs, Ayumi,” Takao responds, snagging a handful of popcorn from the bowl.

“Why exactly is Takao Sailor Uranus?” Midorima asks.

“We’re all Sailor Scouts,” Naoko explains. “I’m Sailor Mercury and Ayumi-chan is Sailor Jupiter. Our two friends at school are Sailor Venus and Sailor Mars.”

“No one is Sailor Moon?” Midorima asks.

“It wouldn’t be fair,” Naoko says solemnly. “You can be Sailor Pluto, Onii-sama.”

“No, that’s alright,” Midorima says, remembering an earlier conversation with Takao. Now that he’s watched two hundred episodes and three movies, he has the proper context. “I’ll be Sailor Neptune.”

Takao squeezes his hand again and smiles fondly.

Midorima thinks this is all the peace he never thought he deserved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, some added commentary on Midorima glowing in the dark [here](http://umisabaku.tumblr.com/post/149354980769/omg-with-that-short-midotaka-fic-with-sailor-moon)


	14. Gold

The thing about dating Akashi Seijuurou is that, occasionally, Furihata felt like he had two boyfriends, and he wasn’t sure what to do with that.

He knew that Akashi _wasn’t_ two people, but given how they first met, it was certainly hard sometimes to remember that.

He fell in love with Seijuurou first, he realized that only later. He fell in love with that dangerous man in Teiko, who kissed him and needed him, and kept him safe. And afterwards, he fell in love with Akashi, who quoted _Mansfield_ _Park_ at him, and courted him through text messages and phone calls while they were separated by geography.

And they _are_ the same person, he knows that; but also not, because they are both very different and Furihata fell in love with their differences.

When he first started dating Akashi he had asked, “And… Seijuurou doesn’t mind?”

“Furihata, “Akashi replies, “You are the only thing we could ever both want.”

And that was fine, that was everything Furihata needed to feel _right_ about this. He loves Akashi Seijuurou, all of who he is, and as far as he’s concerned, it doesn’t matter which version of Akashi he’s dating, so long as every version of him wants Furihata.

*

He is not prepared for Gold.

He knows the other “Miracle Boyfriends” all lament what they do not know. There are things about Teiko that are impossible for them to understand; there are secrets they might never know.

And privately, Furihata always somewhat prided himself on the fact that maybe he _did_ understand better than the other boyfriends. After all, he’d spent a week in the new Teiko. He had lived a small glimmer of what they lived.

Learning about Gold was a reminder of just how little he knew.

*

He can recognize the difference between Akashi and Seijuurou almost right away now; Furihata doesn’t have to see his eyes or hear him speak. The way they hold themselves is different.

“Seijuurou?” he says tentatively. He loves both of Akashi, but he knows Seijuurou only comes when he’s needed, so it is slightly concerning to see him. “Is something…wrong?”

“No, Kouki. I was only thinking about Gold.”

Something makes him feel very uneasy. Furihata is on edge and it takes him awhile to realize it’s because Seijuurou looks _sad_.

And he’s never seen Akashi Seijuurou looks sad before.

“Who is… Gold?”

“My brother,” Seijuurou says, looking at him. “I have his heart.”

*

Furihata is sobbing by the time Seijuurou finishes explaining. It’s a noiseless kind of crying, where tears and snot just come unchecked and he has to bury his face in his sleeves by the time it’s all over.

“Thank you, Kouki,” Seijuurou says.

“For what?” Furihata wails. He hasn’t done anything at all! He’s never felt so utterly useless.

“For crying for Gold. I never did. I don’t believe anyone ever has.”

This makes Furihata sob even harder.

“Did—did you give him a name?” Furihata ventures, after he’s composed himself again. He wishes desperately to know everything he can about this boy he will never meet.

“No,” Seijuurou says, looking away. “We all got our names after we were free. We became who we are now because of that freedom. To give names to the dead who never had the same chance of freedom would be a cruel dishonor.”

Furihata’s not sure about that, but he knows that’s not his decision to make.

Still. He can’t help but wish there was some way to honor Gold.

*

“What is this?” Akashi asks softly.

Furihata freezes, unprepared for this. He’d planned to mention it after he was done; he’d meant to see what Akashi’s opinion was first, before ever springing it on him.

“It’s… it’s an altar,” he ventures hesitantly. “For Gold.”

Akashi stares at Furihata’s creation. When he speaks, his voice is hoarse. “Where did you get his picture?”

“From Momoi,” Furihata confesses. “She had the files.” He holds his breath.

Akashi must hate it. It was too presumptuous of him; he should have never dared.

“Why is it in your room?” Akashi asks. “You did not know him.”

“But I’m thankful to him,” Furihata says. “Because if it wasn’t for him, I would have never met you. I just—want to make sure I remember him.”

Akashi is silent for a very long time; long enough for Furihata to convince himself that he’s ruined everything forever.

“Would you… help me set one up in my home?” Akashi asks.

“Oh,” Furihata says, feeling like he can breathe again. “Yes. Yes, I can do that.”

Akashi nods. He leans against Furihata’s shoulder then, hiding his face.

Furihata lets him stay there, for as long as he needs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @duckiehuey requested Furihata finding out about Gold and building an altar for him, and @howshouldiknowboutlife requested Furihata interacting with Seijuurou, so I combined those two prompts. I really think this probably should have been a much longer story, but alas. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Feel free to stop by umisabaku.tumblr.com for endless anime reblogs and occasional short prompts. As a reminder, I absolutely welcome all prompts in my ask box and will always try to write something for them, although it might take me awhile and it might not be quite what you asked for. But I am very happy to write things anytime someone asks =) 
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated and also, I love you =D


	15. Double Date

Midorima thinks about how it’s never a good thing when Akashi calls.

“Midorima,” his former leader says. “I would like to propose a social rendezvous between you, myself, and Furihata-kun. You may bring Takao-kun.”

“What.”

“This Sunday would work. It would be a congenial affair, no need to dress formally. We could dine and then perhaps view a screening of a film.”

“Are you—are you suggesting we go on a _double date?”_

There is a long silence on the other end, followed by a reluctant, “Yes. Furihata-kun thinks we should do more with other couples.”

“Oh my god,” Midorima says, scandalized. “No. That is not going to happen.”

“Midorima,” Akashi says, dangerously. He has never liked disobedience.

“Make Kuroko do it. He and Kagami are already Furihata’s friends, doesn’t that make more sense?”

“Yes. It would. But would _you_ want to go on a double date with Kagami?”

Well, he had a point there. Objectively, all of the Miracles tended to agree that Kagami was a very Miracle-like human, all around a decent sort of person, and he was good for Kuroko.

But it was a little grating sometimes to see the human who had bested them all in basketball. Especially when basketball wasn’t an option to pass the time.

“I will ask Takao,” Midorima grudgingly allows. “But I will make no promises.”

*

Takao, when faced with the question, “Would you be willing to go on a double-date with Akashi and his boyfriend,” laughs. For about three minutes. He laughs so hard he has to catch himself from falling, and then laughs to the point of wheezing, making Midorima concerned for his health.

When Takao finally stops laughing, wiping tears away as his chuckles die down, he looks at Midorima solemnly and says, “I would rather gouge out my own eyes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was just a random MidoTaka and AkaFuri for a randomly kind person. But it was a lot of fun. I don't think any of the Miracles want to go on a double date with Akashi, that poor boy. (To be fair, Akashi really doesn't want that either.) 
> 
> Thanks for reading!! =D


	16. Beautiful Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @allebooklover asked for Kise's POV when he fell in love with Kasamatsu, which was a story I always wanted to write.

_You are a beautiful lie._

_And that’s all you will ever be._

*

“I met a human today,” Kise announces. “He kicked me and told me he was my Senpai.”

“All my humans ran away,” Aomine smirks, putting his hands behind his head. “That means I won our bet.”

“No way,” Murasakibara says. “I got rid of mine first.”

“Yeah, but you had less to start with,” Aomine points out.

“That means the only people who still have visiting humans are Tetsuya, Satsuki, Ryouta, and Shintarou,” Akashi remarks.

“I am not playing your foolish game,” Midorima says. “I do not care if they come or if they don’t.”

“Yeah, but people still leave, don’t they?” Kise taunts. “God, humans are the worst.”

*

_“I love you,” the man whispers. “I love you so much, you’re my everything. I don’t know what I would do without you.”_

*

“I think this means you lose, Kise,” Aomine says.

“He just keeps coming,” Kise protests. “And anyway, I decided I’m going to keep him. He’s kind of entertaining.”

“Oh, you’re keeping pets now too?” Aomine says.

Kise shrugs. “Why not? Kurokocchi does. Might as well see what the fuss is about.”

*

_“I just can’t believe you’re talking to me,” the woman gushes. “I’m your biggest fan, I have all your albums. Oh! I hope I don’t sound creepy, I just—I’ve been such a huge admirer of your work for so long!”_

*

“You didn’t tell me he was your son!” Kise wails.

“Eh? You didn’t know?” Kasamatsu Youji says, surprised. “We look alike, we have the same family name—”

Kise flails his hands, “How was I supposed to know that meant anything?! I would have—” been nicer, he stops himself from finishing. But he knows how disappointed Youji would be if he finds out the Miracles were deliberately scaring people away.

“I know you don’t like people, Ryouta,” Youji says, sounding amused. “Do you like him now?”

“Yeah, he’s OK,” Kise says, shuffling his feet. “He’s a lot like you.” They’re both kind.

Youji laughs. “Oh, man, never tell him that, he would be so appalled.”

*

_“We’ve been married for fifty-three years now,” the old man says. “Don’t you think I know my own wife?”_

*

“It’s fine for you to keep a pet, but I don’t see why we can’t ever be around him,” Midorima says. “We wouldn’t hurt Kasamatsu-san’s son.”

“No, he’s _mine,_ ” Kise says.

“We don’t want him!” Aomine says. “We’re just saying, it’s dumb you don’t let us near him.”

“I want to talk to him!” Momoi says, stomping her foot. “It’s not fair that only Kichan gets a friend!”

“Tough,” Kise says, sticking out his tongue at her. “Senpai is mine and I’m not sharing. Get your own human.”

The death glare Kuroko sends him is truly impressive.

*

_“You’re my brother, so I’m only trusting this with you,” the man says. “You hear me? This is important. More important than my own life. But you’re my family, so I trust you.”_

*

“You think I can’t tell the difference between you and my own father?” Kasamatsu howls, kicking at him.

“You’re not supposed to! No one’s supposed to! My ability is _Perfect Copy_. I don’t just copy appearance, I copy mannerisms! No one can tell the difference!”

Kise stares at the boy like he’s never seen him before. His eyes are so clear, so focused on him, only on him. He’s just done the impossible and he doesn’t even realize it.

*

_“Why do you hate humans so much, Yellow?” Black asks. “You interact with them more than any of us. I don’t understand why they disgust you so much.”_

_“It’s_ because _I interact with them so much,” Yellow replies. “Listen, Black, I always Copy someone close to the target, you know? Someone they trust more than anyone else. And you know what they all have in common?_

_“They can’t tell the difference. They claim to love a person but they can’t even tell when they’re around a fake._

_“Human devotion is meaningless. All the love they say they have—it’s worthless. If they can love a Copy just as much as the real thing, then humans are truly pathetic, don’t you see?”_

_Black doesn’t reveal anything on his face so Yellow just shrugs. “And they always look so surprised when I kill them. It’s their own fault for not realizing.”_

*

“I’m always going to know it’s you! But don’t you dare try and trick someone with my face ever again!”

Kise swallows. He wants to cling to this man, he wants to hold onto him forever, but Kasamatsu is still angry with him, so now is not the time.

_Ah,_ Kise things. _That’s all I ever wanted._

*

_“You are a beautiful lie. That’s all you ever will be,” his creator tells him. “And you’re not even real. There’s nothing real about you. No one could ever love a Copy.”_


	17. I Look For Joy In a Strange Place (From the Back of the Bar)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An anonymous person requested a look into how the host families deal with the Miracles on their "bad" days. I didn't quite fill that prompt, because I always really wanted to write about the three dads getting together, because I have so much love for the dads.
> 
> Title came from "Dr. John" by Mika.

There are a lot of things about Kasamatsu Youji’s life that he still has a hard time believing are real: the fact that he actually made it to the rank of Sergeant in the JSDF, the fact that he is actually a well-known household name in Japan and other parts of the world, the fact that a photo of him won a Pulitzer prize, the fact that his adopted son has superpowers.

But even with all of that, the biggest thing he has trouble believing is the fact that he still sometimes hangs out socially with Akashi Masaomi.

*

“No, seriously, why do I still hang out with you?” Youji asks.

“Youji! Is that any way to talk to your oldest friend? Also, why do you have such cheap taste? This beer is awful. I can’t believe I’m putting it in my mouth.”

“You don’t have to,” Youji points out.

“No, I’m sitting in this disgusting peasant establishment; I might as well drink this disgusting peasant beverage.” Masaomi looks down at his beer like a man who has never suffered so much for a friend.

(Masaomi makes a point of criticizing every bar and restaurant Youji picks for their outings. In retaliation, Youji has taken to picking the worst rated bars and restaurants he can find. The beer is, legitimately, disgusting, but it is somewhat satisfying to watch Masaomi have to choke it down.)

“You know, Masa-chan,” Youji says casually, “If you want advice on how to be a father, you can always just ask. You don’t need to make a big production out of this.”

“What—how dare—I don’t need advice on how to be a father! I am an excellent father!”

“Seijuurou still hasn’t introduced you to Furi-kun, has he?”

“ _Furi-kun?_ ” Masaomi exclaims. “Don’t tell me _you’ve_ met him?”

“Sure,” Youji says with a shrug. “He comes by the base a couple of times with Seijuurou. He’s a nice kid.”

Masaomi’s sputtering is incredibly satisfying, so Youji can’t resist twisting the knife a little. “Furi-kun has been such a wonderful influence on Seijuurou; it’s really nice to see them together.”

But Masaomi doesn’t take the bait. Instead, he grows uncharacteristically thoughtful. “It _does_ seem like he’s been a good influence on Seijuurou, doesn’t it?”

*

Masaomi has never been the kind of person to just come right out and say anything, especially when it’s something important.

Youji resigns himself to waiting awhile for Masaomi to say what’s bothering him, and glances around the bar. He sees the man walk inside on chance, and it feels almost like fate, “Kishitani-sensei!” he yells across the room, waving frantically, “Over here!”

The doctor jumps at the sound of his voice but approaches; Masaomi glares at Youji in affront and perhaps hurt.

“Kishitani-sensei is like us,” Youji explains to Masaomi, so his friend doesn’t think he just called a random person over. “He adopted Midorima Shintarou.”

“Oh _him,_ ” Masaomi dismisses, but he eyes the doctor with interest.

“Sergeant Kasamatsu, hello,” the doctor stammers, “Nice to see you again. And oh! Um, Akashi-san, right?”

“Pleased to meet you,” Masaomi says. The doctor seems genuinely terrified of both of them; Youji feels a little guilty.

“I must say, sensei, I wouldn’t have expected this to be your kind of place,” Youji remarks.

“It’s not,” Kishitani says, sounding alarmed. “I’m not here. I mean, I’m not staying. My car broke down. I’m just waiting for a ride while the tow truck comes—”

“Sit. Join us,” Masaomi says. Masaomi has a way of speaking that always seems like he’s giving orders.

Kishitani sits.

*

The thing that makes Masaomi a truly terrifying businessman is not that he is ruthless, or a genius, or incredibly cunning, (although he is all of those things), it’s that he can be incredibly charming in a way that’s very disengaging. Youji has watched him do this for years now and he’s still not sure how he pulls it off, but Masaomi can cajole and laugh and schmooze and then somehow he’s wheedled out all of your secrets and vulnerabilities by the end of the night.

It’s very frightening. And impressive.

“But we can’t tell them that!” Kishitani wails, already caught in Masaomi’s trap. “They’re _dating_. It would be so traumatizing if they found out we’re _also_ dating. Just think of what that could do for a young adult’s psychological development.”

“I have a feeling Shintarou-kun probably has other traumas to be worried about, but I see your point,” Masaomi says. “But you can’t keep sneaking around, man. It’s not fair to your lady.”

“It was her idea!” Kishitani exclaims.

“Well, I guess if it’s nothing serious, then that’s fine—”

“But it is serious! I want to marry her!” Kishitani look surprised by his own confession and Youji feels a pang of sympathy for the man who is only just now realizing the extent of how much he’s revealed to Masaomi.

“Then marry her!” Masaomi booms, slapping the doctor on the back.

“But then they’d be _brothers,_ ” Kishitani wails.

“Oh, well, true, but that hasn’t stopped Youji’s boys, has it? It’s only incest on paper, so it’s fine.”

“It’s not incest at all,” Youji rolls his eyes. “They are not related. Just because my one son is dating another one of my sons, doesn’t mean it’s weird.”

Kishitani coughs. “It’s, uh, it’s a little weird, when you put it like that.”

“Hey, wait, is it strange that all our sons are gay?” Masaomi says, frowning. “Statistically speaking, that’s highly unlikely.”

“Who isn’t just a little bit gay?” Youji asks. He is probably the only one at the table who has seen some of Teiko’s original files. “Come on, have another round on me.”

“This beer is awful,” Kishitani says sadly into his drink.

“Good man,” Masaomi says, patting him on the back.

*

“It’s not like it’s a problem,” Masaomi says casually (And Youji knows that casual in his voice, it’s very strategic). “They’ll break up eventually.”

Kishitani jerks, spilling his beer. “What?” he says, as Youji reflexively mops up the spill with a napkin. “Oh no, I shouldn’t think so. Nobuko and I aren’t counting on that at all.”

“They’re in high school,” Masaomi points out. “People don’t marry their high school sweetheart.”

“ _I_ did,” Kishitani says, agitated. “I have never been the kind of person who loves by halves, and Shintarou is the same way. I cannot imagine—he is so like me, you see—”

It’s like the man has forgotten that Midorima is not actually biologically related to him. Youji can hardly blame him for that; Youji has four sons, and the one who resembles him the most is the one he didn’t actually sire.

“I meant no offense,” Masaomi soothes.

“You don’t understand,” Kishitani says, still distressed. “Shintarou—he used to have such bad days. He wouldn’t leave his room on days when Cancers were ranked last and you never knew what would set him off. Sometimes I would come home and it would be a scene from a poltergeist movie—items flying everywhere.

“That changed, when he met Kazunari-kun. Shintarou is calmer now. When the bad days come, he’s OK. It’s like he knows he can handle them now. I just don’t see how he could ever give that up.”

The men fall silent; Masaomi looks thoughtful, and Kishitani, faintly embarrassed. Youji wishes he could tell him that everyone revealed more than they intended around Masaomi; that it wasn’t his fault.

“Ryouta, too,” Youji speaks up, offhand. “He had a lot of bad days before. He doesn’t so much. I was worried he’d regress after Yukio went away for college, but he hasn’t. They’ve all come a long way.”

He’s still not sure if his eldest son knew Kise would occasionally transform into him on his bad days. He’s not sure Yukio even knows about Kise’s bad days, because Kise never had them when Yukio was around.

“Yes, I see,” Masaomi says, and maybe he does.

*

“Did that answer your question?” Youji asks, as they stand outside in front of Youji’s car. Kishitani finally had to leave, and now it’s just the two of them, in the evening cold.

“How do you even know I have a question?” Masaomi asks.

Youji shrugs. “I just do. I’ve known you a long time, Masa-chan.”

“Hmm,” Masaomi says, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “What was Seijuurou like? On _his_ bad days?”

Youji is slightly surprised by the question. “To be honest, Seijuurou was always the most withdrawn out of all of them. It was always hard to tell.”  
It was only much, much, much later when Kise finally explained Akashi’s “other” personality that it started to make sense to him. And while it was frustrating that the military psychologists hadn’t picked up on the fact that there _was_ a second personality, and equally frustrating that none of the other children thought it relevant to mention it sooner—it put a few things about GM-R0102 in perspective that Youji hadn’t realized when he was on base.

“I am not sure he ever had _good_ days,” Youji says finally. Because if his “other” personality came when he was needed, that meant Red needed him pretty much all the time in those early years.

“Yes,” Masaomi says. Then he sighs. “I don’t think I ever realized how unhappy he was, until he was finally happy.”

Youji claps his friend on the shoulder because that’s the only way he knows how to convey his support. He should probably say, _You’ve been good from him; you understand him in a way no one else could, he could not have been raised under better circumstances,_ but that’s not the kind of person he is.

The simple matter is, he’d been wrong, all those years ago, when Masaomi adopted Seijuurou. Youji had objected because he knew Masaomi couldn’t give Seijuurou a conventional family; but Seijuurou could not have flourished under a conventional family.

“If you want to meet Furihata-kun so badly, you should just go meet him. It’s not like you to wait for permission to do anything.”

Masaomi heaves a very long suffering sigh. “You just don’t understand the intricacies of psychological warfare with your son, Youji.”


	18. The Teiko Scientists

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A kind anonymous on tumblr wanted to know more about the Teiko scientists, soooo. I wrote about Kenma's dad.

The silence stretches on in a way that is both awkward and painful. Kenma is no stranger to long silences; they don’t make him uncomfortable, most of the time, and in most circumstances he prefers the quiet.

But in this silence is all the things he doesn’t know how to say, and all the questions he doesn’t know how to ask.

“Kenma,” his father says quietly, “Won’t you talk to me?”

*

Visiting his father in prison hadn’t been his idea. He never wanted to be in this situation, not ever. But his mother had begged him, “Please, he just wants to see you,” and Kuroo had said, “It might be good for you, you haven’t talked to him in a long time,” and these are probably the people whose opinions Kenma cares about most in the world.

But it was Hinata Shouyou who convinced him. Hinata had been silent for a long time on the phone and then he said, “Yeah, I think you should go see him.” And Kenma hadn’t responded; didn’t ask _why_ but Hinata heard the question anyway and said, “You still love your dad, right Kenma? So you should go see him. It’s be too sad not to.”

It is almost too horrible to have Hinata say that. Hinata, who survived more tragedy than anyone else Kenma knows.

_It’d be too sad not to._

*

“Why, Dad?”

Kenma doesn’t mean to ask the question. His dad looks smaller than he remembers; older and more worn. It’s like he’s wasting away and that terrifies Kenma. He wishes he could reach out and touch his father, make sure he’s still there. But at the same time, even if there wasn’t glass separating them, Kenma’s pretty sure he couldn’t initiate contact. He’s sure he wouldn’t know how.

He didn’t come here to ask “Why” because he was terrified of the answer. He’s scared his father will say something that will make it impossible to love him. (And what if he does? And what if Kenma loves him anyway? Which is worse—not loving or loving anyway?)

But somehow, now that the question is out there he just keeps going, “How could you do that to kids?”

His father doesn’t look surprised by the question; he just looks tired. He’s heard the question so often by reporters, during his trial, maybe even in prison—he looks weary from it all.

“You have to understand, Kenma—they weren’t human, when we first started out. They look like children _now_ because we are very good at what we did. But those early projects—they were quite monstrous. No one would have condemned what we did to those creatures—the _making_ of them, yes, but not what we did to them—because there was no confusion about what they were.”

“And later?” Kenma asks. “Weren’t you ever—confused?”

His father’s lips tighten and he just shakes his head. “Kenma, you and everyone else—you’re just being fooled by those creatures. I assure you, they are no more human than our early creations. You must know what they are capable of—you must have seen the files, you’ve always been such a bright boy. But you probably didn’t get the full picture.

“They’re killers, Kenma. All of them. I’ve seen them take people apart with their bare hands—ruthlessly, mercilessly. And sometimes they would smile while they did it— they would make _games_ out of it, did you know that? They used to bet each other who could kill the most—” his father’s voice drifts, and then he shakes his head. “Kenma, people ask me all the time, ‘do you regret it?’ and the answer is yes, I do regret it, but not for the reason people think. We never thought they’d get out—and _that_ was our biggest hubris—we thought we could contain them. But now they’re out there, and no one will ever be able to stop them. The things they could do—now that they’re unleashed, I might be responsible for the end of the world, and _that’s_ what keeps me up at night. What they might do.”

Kenma stays silent. He doesn’t automatically dismiss what his father is saying—he’s never been that kind of person. He thinks about it, he internalizes it; he tries to find the reason behind it. And because he’s the kind of person who analyzes things, he feels like maybe there is sense there. It would be foolish to ignore everything his father says as madness just because it sounds mad.

“Kenma, do you believe me?”

Kenma thinks about it and nods his head. “Yeah, Dad. I believe you.” He can’t look at him when he says, “But I also believe you don’t have all the data. You haven’t seen them like I have. So I think you’re wrong.”

*

“I love you, Kenma. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, Dad. I know.”


	19. Deleted Scene - Karaoke bar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was an anonymous request for the other Miracles finding out about Furihata's immunity, and for awhile now I've been wondering about the timing of that discovery, because it has to happen some time after "You Could Never Wear My Crown" but before the epilogue in "Love Doesn't Discriminate."
> 
> So I decided, timing wise, it made sense to happen when everyone was together, so this is sort of a "deleted scene" from the Karaoke bar when Akashi calls everyone there to ask for advice on his love life.

“I can’t believe even _you’re_ dating a human now,” Aomine remarks as the meeting starts winding down. “And anyway, I don’t even see what the problem is. Can’t you just order the guy to date you?”

Akashi narrows his eyes and doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t miss the way Midorima, Hinata, and Kise all stiffen and look at him, as if they’re wondering what he’ll say to that—as if they think _that is something he would do._

“Dai-chan,” Momoi says. “You know better.”

Aomine just sort of smirks, and he’s staring at Akashi in a challenging sort of way, like maybe he _does_ know better, but he wants Akashi to answer anyway.

“Winning at courtship would not be satisfactory if I had to resort to cheap tactics,” Akashi replies. He very determinedly ignores the way Kuroko stares at him.

“It does, I don’t know, seem a little unfair,” Hinata says, frowning. “I mean, if he always has to do what you say. I’d hate it if I had to do everything Kageyama said. Vice versa, too, I think.”

It is, Akashi thinks, really only something someone who hasn’t been with them for the past six years would dare point out. And ordinarily, Akashi might even be thankful that someone _did_ dare point it out. If Furihata was an ordinary human, then someone should wonder on his behalf about the ramifications of dating someone whose orders always had to be obeyed.

But Furihata is _not_ an ordinary human. And Akashi really wishes Hinata had not brought it up, because he doesn’t want the other Miracles to know that yet.

(It’s not that he doesn’t trust them. It’s just that he doesn’t want _anyone_ to know about Furihata’s immunity. The less people who knew about it the better.)

Akashi takes too long to respond, though. Before Akashi can stop him, Kuroko says, “That will not be a problem, Shouyou-kun. Furihata-kun is immune to our abilities.”

*

There is justifiable instantaneous pandemonium and Akashi grits his teeth and reminds himself why he should not throttle Kuroko.

“Whaaat?” Murasakibara drops his current snack.

“What do you mean _immune?”_ Midorima says.

“How does that even work?” Momoi exclaims.

“He better not be a fucking Rainbow,” Aomine says.

But it’s Kise’s voice that stands out amongst the chaos. “Oh, are you _kidding_ me?” he demands, lurching forward, “Then, Akashicchi—”

“No,” Akashi says, knowing instantly what Kise is going to say, “Don’t say it. For once in your life, just be the bigger man, Kise.”

“In any given situation, I _refuse_ to be the bigger man!” Kise says. “So _really_ , what you’re saying is, you only like this guy because he’s immune?”

Akashi sighs and deeply regrets calling this meeting.

*

The thing is, and Akashi realizes it now, but he’d been very cruel to humans when they’d first escaped Teiko, and Kuroko was not the only one who suffered because of that.

Kise’s growing obsession with Kasamatsu Yukio had been alarming for many reasons but primarily because Akashi didn’t understand it, didn’t think he could ever understand it.

There were many reasons not to drive Kasamatsu away, though, like he had with Ogiwara. Primarily because he was Youji’s son, but also because Kise was easier to manage if Kasamatsu was around—but that didn’t mean Akashi _approved_ of it.

“You only like him because he is immune to you,” Akashi had told Kise.

Kise had looked—it was hard to describe— _horrified,_ but also angry, and for a second maybe even doubtful of his own intentions, before settling finally on rage. “You don’t know what you’re saying, Akashicchi.”

Akashi could hear the threat in Kise’s voice—and he knew better than to underestimate a Yellow Six. If the other Projects were weapons, Yellow Sixes were a slow-acting poison; you didn’t notice the threat until you were dying.

So he understood that Kise was dangerous when angered, they all were, but it was not in him to bow out in a fight. “You would not find him fascinating, if he was not immune to you. If it was some other human with the same quirk, I’m sure—”

“ _You don’t know what you’re talking about,”_ Kise said again, with the kind of rage Akashi hadn’t seen in the Yellow Six in a long time.

He didn’t press the issue; he wasn’t _scared_ , but there was no point in deliberately angering Kise further. Not over something like this, anyway.

*

Kise, at least, is determined to prove that he is capable of holding a grudge for three years. “So it didn’t have to be _this_ human at all, did it, Akashicchi? It could have been any immune human.”

The reactions of the other Miracles could have been comical under any other situation. They were all wide-eyed and hushed, staring at Kise in awe and disbelief.

“It was wrong of me to say that,” Akashi says quietly.

Everyone continues to stare in disbelief. Akashi does not admit he is wrong very often. Almost never, really.

Kise, still bitter, perhaps, just continues to stare at Akashi before finally nodding, accepting the apology that still wasn’t voiced.

“Immune, huh?” Aomine says, breaking the tension. “That’s interesting. Too bad, though. I always figured a power like yours would have some interesting perks in the bedroom, if you know what I mean.”

“You all need to leave now,” Akashi says. “I regret ever calling you here.”


	20. Seirin and a Sick Kuroko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Archive user Nekochan_author (thanks friend!) over on tumblr. I decided to set it after "Don't Blink" but before "You Could Never Wear My Crown"

When they wake up one morning during a training camp to find Kuroko is not there, it is not unusual. It usually takes them a minute to locate him, and a bit longer to verify that yes, he is definitely not there. They send Kagami to go look for him—it’s always Kagami’s job to go look for him, which is also definitely not something he objects to doing, although he does make his standard grumbles out loud, just to make it appear like he’s not _too_ enthusiastic about looking for the guy who is now, very recently, his boyfriend.

(He doesn’t _think_ the others know that yet. They haven’t made an official announcement or anything, but Kagami would be the first to admit that they haven’t exactly been _subtle_.)

“Oi, Kuroko, what are you—” When he finds his boyfriend still sleeping on the mat, he grows alarmed. “Oi!”

He rushes over, panicked, sure that something must be wrong.

“Kagami-kun,” Kuroko says, his voice a sleepy whisper. “What time is it?”

“Almost time for practice, what’s wrong?” He puts a hand to Kuroko’s forehead. “You’re burning up!”

Kuroko tries to get up but Kagami puts a firm hand on him and pushes him back down. “You’re sick. I’ll go tell the others. Just rest up, OK?”

*

“He’s sick? How can he be sick?” Hyuuga exclaims.

“Hmmm. This is a problem,” Riko says. “It doesn’t seem right to just leave him on his own.” She mulls this over and then says decisively, “Alright, boys. Today, we take care of Kuroko. Tomorrow, the training regimen quadruples.”

*         

“Kuroko-kun! I made you soup, it’ll help you feel better!”

“Coach, we want Kuroko to get _better,_ not kill—”

Hyuuga steps on Izuki’s foot, a little too late. “He’ll love the soup! We’ll make sure to feed it to him! You should—go get him an ice pack.”

Riko looks suspicious at Hyuuga’s suggestion but leaves.

“You can’t kill Kuroko,” Kagami warns.

“I know, I know, one of us will have to—”

Everyone abruptly steps away from Hyuuga.

Hyuuga sighs. “I hope you appreciate this, Kuroko.”

*

“Here, Kuroko, have an ice pack,” Furihata says.

“No, no, you fight fire with fire for fevers,” Fukuda says, “You need to put more blankets on him.”

“You’ll overheat him that way!” Kawahara says. “Or at the very least, suffocate him! Stop putting on blankets!”

*

“Kuroko? Hey buddy, you want me to read you a story?” Koganei holds up a book and Mitobe hovers, extraordinarily concerned. Tsuchida holds a pack of cards, waiting in the wings to keep Kuroko entertained.

“Guys, you should let him sleep,” Kiyoshi says gently.

*

Eventually, Kagami kicks everyone out.

He sets Kuroko up with an ice pack he bought at the nearby convenience store and hands Kuroko the leek soup _he_ had made.

“Thank you, Kagami-kun. And please thank the others for me.”

Kagami grimaces. “Sorry, they caused so much trouble. I bet you didn’t get much rest.”

“No, it is alright, I liked it,” Kuroko puts his spoon down. “I was not sick. I do not get sick the same way that humans do.”

Kagami squashes his instinctive need to correct Kuroko—he _is_ human, but now is not the time to make a point.

“What are you talking about? You got food poisoning with the rest of us after coach’s hot pot.”

Kuroko’s lips quirk. “Yes, well. Coach’s cooking is very impressive on many levels. It defies understanding.”

Kagami snorts. _That’s_ certainly true.

“I am resistant to most diseases,” Kuroko continues. “But, as I have said before, I am the weakest Project. I might have more abilities than I let on, but it always takes a toll. I have not fully recovered from our standoff with Gold and Silver. The fevers will pass, soon enough.”

There’s an implication there that this is something Kuroko has been dealing with this for the past couple of weeks. By himself. And Kagami hates that so much.

“At any rate, I very much enjoyed the team’s concern. No one has ever taken care of me before. I liked it.”

This only confirms it. Kagami is going to do everything he can to make sure he’s _always_ there to take care of Kuroko.

“You should move in with me.”

He hadn’t _quite_ meant to blurt it out like that. But when Kuroko blushes and says, “Kagami-kun is so bold,” Kagami can’t help but notice that Kuroko doesn’t say _no._


	21. Educating Akashi (Part One)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I combined a couple prompts requesting AkaFuri interactions. I mostly just wanted the excuse to write more Rakuzan. It's not nsfw, but warnings for some raunchy language =D

There are two things that Akashi spends quite a lot of time thinking about: one, that he definitely wants to have sex with Furihata at some point and two, that he wants to make sure it goes well when he does.

As a particular point of pride, he wants to excel at everything he attempts. He is sure that sex will be no different.

But, he is willing to concede, there is a whole lot about that subject he just doesn’t _know_. The JSDF doctors had all made sure to have a very clinical and informative discussion on safe sexual practices when they were living on base, however they had (somewhat naively) focused their lesson on what takes place between a man and a woman and absolutely none of them had been willing to mention to the doctors that only two out of the seven teens were interested in that.

At the time, Akashi was sure he would _never_ need such information, so he definitely hadn’t thought it worth asking for clarifications.

It’s one of the many things he wishes he could go back in time to correct, if only to hit his younger self over the head.

*

He reads, quite a lot. It is really the only solution he has. There is a small, _small_ part of him that wishes he had someone to ask questions but the only people in his life who he might consider asking are 1: The Miracles (no) 2: The Uncrowned Kings ( _no_ ) and 3: Akashi Masaomi ( _hell no_ ).

So that’s not an option.

*

While he is very committed to exploring all available options of research before conducting any activity he has somewhat resigned himself to only gaining what knowledge he can through books.

He really couldn’t have expected the Kings to have their own ideas on that matter.

*

“What,” Akashi starts, his voice vaguely strangled as he chokes down his own looming sense of horror, “are we currently watching right now?”

“Porn!” Hayama says, helpfully. “Specifically, gay porn.”

Akashi had come to Reo’s house on the invitation that this was a team building event and that it would be good to participate in order to further their cohesive unit. When he saw that Mayuzumi was also here that really should have been his first clue that somewhere down the line he had been horribly lied to—the Rakuzan alum didn’t willingly participate in team-building exercises even when he’d been on the team.

“Yes,” Akashi says slowly, keeping his eyes averted from the screen. “I had come to that conclusion. Perhaps, the better question would have been _why?_ ”

“For your education, Sei-chan,” Reo says, very solemnly. “We discussed this, you see, and now that you have a boyfriend, we thought there might be some things you needed to know.”

“I’ve watched pornography before,” Akashi says. Well. To be more accurate, he’d played shougi with Midorima while Aomine put on porn he’d acquired from JSDF soldiers when they’d all lived on base.

“What? Whoa, it’s always the quiet ones,” Nebuya says.

Reo, who knows Akashi a little better than the rest and has a pretty good sense of when he’s trying to bluff them, just narrows her eyes and says, “Have you actually watched gay porn before? Because it _is_ different.”

Akashi scowls and decides not to reply.

“Why are you here?” he asks Nebuya, shifting attention away from his own discomfort.

“Hey, I’m being a supportive friend! Also, it’s not fair that I get left out just because I don’t like dick.” Nebuya thinks on this for a moment then shrugs, “And hey, porn is porn.”

This particular philosophy prompts Akashi to turn to Mayuzumi and demand, “And what’s _your_ excuse? I wouldn’t have thought this to be your particular brand of entertainment.”

Mayuzumi’s lips quirk, “Oh, I’m not here to watch the porn, I’m here to watch your suffering.”

As Akashi seethes, Reo chides, “You know, Mayuzumi, we’re going to stop inviting you to these things if you’re going to be like this.”

*

It is times like these where Akashi feels personally tested. Because he wants to get out of this and he _could_ (oh, he could, it would be so easy) Order everyone out and also command them never to speak of this again. He is practically twitching with how much he is tempted to do just that.

But. He is trying not to Order people simply for his own convenience. He’s trying that.

“I fail to see how watching this trash is supposed to provide education of any kind,” he says instead.

“ _Trash?!”_ Hayama sputters indignantly. “Excuse you, I picked the classiest film in my collection for you, Akashi. I know you have standards!”

Akashi makes a sound with his throat that is a strange combination of choking and snorting. “ _Classiest._ ”

“Yeah! You have no idea how much truly gross porn is out there. Most of it is just dicks everywhere and some real kinky shit. A truly alarming amount has waterworks and rape. I picked a film that’s artsy, with lighting and stuff. It has plot and everything.”

“ _Plot?”_ Akashi exclaims. “What plot? The one man just said, ‘Would you please pass the salt?’ and the other man proceeded to fuck him on the table. I fail to see how that comprised a coherent story line.”

“ _Akashi_ _,_ that’s the dream!” Hayama declares. “To be in a relationship where your boy says ‘pass the salt’ and then you proceed to just pound him into the table, no further conversation necessary.”

“I believe you and I have very different relationship goals, Hayama-san.”

Akashi tries very hard to ignore the way Mayuzumi looks like he’s dying from choking back laughter, the slightly uncomfortable but resolute determination of Nebuya, and the way Reo is pretending she’s not watching the TV.

“The other way is good too,” Hayama allows. “There are days when you just want to ask for salt and then be pounded into the table. I’m good with both ways, to be honest. If that’s your preference—”

“It’s not, shut up,” Akashi snaps, still largely maintaining his control not to give an Order.

“Sei-chan, don’t tell me you’re one of those guys who would _never_ bottom,” Reo says, disapprovingly. “No one likes that in a partner.”

“I am not having this discussion with you,” Akashi says.

“You’re absolutely correct. You should have this discussion with Furi-chan.”

Akashi tries not to squirm as they all stare at him. It _is_ a conversation he should have with Furihata. There’s a lot about the whole sex issue that he’s not sure about, and he does understand that research can only carry him so far. He wants to have sex with Furihata, he wants to excel at it, and he wants—to be whatever Furihata wants.

That is a conversation that should be had.

After he’s finished conducting the proper research.

“Hey,” Nebuya says, “Doesn’t that hurt? It looks like it should hurt. And also like it shouldn’t be possible.”

“Oh, that definitely is!” Hayama says brightly. “It only gets difficult when there’s two.”

As humiliating as the night is, Akashi will admit, it is educational.

*

They like to gather before basketball tournaments—well, the boyfriends do, and the Miracles grudgingly tag along—as a sort of pre-game tradition to keep things civil. This time they’re having lunch.

“Oh, Akashi,” Furihata starts, “Can you pass the salt?”

To his complete confusion, Akashi _blushes._

Everyone immediately stops eating and _stares_. Then, in unison, Miracles and boyfriends all turn to stare at Furihata. If they could telepathically communicate, they would all be saying, _What the hell?_

And Furihata desperately wishes he knew.


	22. Educating Akashi (Part Two)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After the previous prompt, there was a request for Akashi and Masaomi talking about sex, and I also love any excuse to write more Akashi and Masaomi =D

“Son, it has come to my attention that we should talk about sex.”

Akashi does not look up from his homework. He is very used to Masaomi randomly bursting into his room. “No. No, that is something that does not need to happen.”

“But it does! I am given to understand that this is an essential component to the father-son relationship. Do you want to be lacking in this important area?”

“I am quite alright with that fact.”

“Anyway, you have a boyfriend now. I would be a failure as a father if I did not ensure you were properly educated on the birds and bees.”

Akashi finally looks up. “You misunderstood me. Allow me to clarify. When I said, this does not need to happen, I meant to say, this conversation is _not_ going to happen. Ever. Please leave my room now.”

Masaomi looks very triumphant at the fact that he got Akashi to look up, and Akashi scowls internally as he realizes this is a point in Masaomi’s victory column. “Oh, but you see, I am your father, and it is my duty as a father to have this conversation with you, whether you want to or not. And you _could_ always Order me away, I suppose, but well, that would be _cowardly_ wouldn’t it?”

Akashi twitches and his internal scowl deepens. Resorting to Absolute Order is always his loss, and he does ever so hate to lose.

Masaomi looks a little too smug, and he takes Akashi’s silence as permission to continue. “Now, I don’t know if you know this about me, but I’ve had quite a lot of sex in my time, and so that makes me a little bit of an expert—”

“Ah, but your experience would be useless to me, wouldn’t it?” Akashi challenges, “I am dating a man, therefore your knowledge is not valid.”

“Seijuurou, you underestimate your old man, I had a _wild_ youth, let me tell you—”

“No,” Akashi says, sliding his chair back, and giving up this victory. He glows red and Orders, “No, this is definitely not happening. Don’t ever try to speak to me of such things again.”

It’s a loss, but it’s a loss Akashi feels will benefit him in the long run.


	23. Orange

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had an anonymous request for Kasamatsu Youji's POV on the appearance of Hinata during the Special Diet, which I had a lot of fun writing, because ever since I wrote "A Name That Feels Like Mine" I've always sorta felt that the guardians were also having a hard time then and it's too bad that isn't shown in "Don't Blink."

“I am Hinata Shouyou. Karasuno First Year Volley Club Number Ten, middle-blocker. Designation GM-O394, also known as ‘Orange.’ Teiko failed experiment. And I’m here to defend my humanity.”

Kasamatsu Youji stops breathing.

*

Youji wanders around the after party in a kind of daze. A lot of the soldiers and other JSDF affiliates are in a similar stupor; no one can quite believe it’s really over. The kids are all having fun playing a combination of volleyball and basketball, and some of the soldiers are joining in, but for the most part everyone has the same numb relief—pretty much just an hour ago, everyone was worried they were going to lose their jobs. Or worse.

Youji keeps looking at Hinata Shouyo—like he can’t quite believe he’s really there. His eyes drift to the other Miracles and they’re all sort of a mess. Kuroko is the worst—Kuroko, who has never shown his emotions, not for as long as Youji has known the boy, seems downright wrecked at the sight of Hinata.

It would be arrogant to assume Youji knows how they feel.

But, well. He sorta knows how they feel.

*

He eventually finds Sakurai Michiru, who is far off at the sidelines, drinking surreptitiously from a flask.

“When did you even have the time to get that?” he asks.

Michiru snorts. “Are you kidding me? I brought it to the Special Diet with me. I needed to calm my nerves.” She passes him the flask as he sits down next to her and he gratefully accepts.

“We weren’t actually in danger, not really,” Youji says, but his hands are shaking, just a little. “Between General Fujimaki’s friendship with the Prime Minister, and Masaomi owning half the politicians in the room, we were going to come out OK.”

“Yeah, but the kids—they still thought they had to take it on alone, you know? And still, it could have been bad.”

“Yeah,” Youji says as she trails off. “It could have been.”

They both look at Hinata.

“Youji—” Michiru starts.

“I know,” he says.

She takes another sip from her flask. “It doesn’t really change anything.”

“Yeah,” Youji says. “It doesn’t. But. It kinda does.”

“Yeah,” she says. They’ve been friends for a long time. She knows what he means.

*

They’d gone into Teiko together—their squads. They’d been the ones to find…the remains.

It’s still the worst thing Youji has ever seen. He still has nightmares. Sometimes he wakes up and he creeps into Mizuki and Ren’s bedroom, just to verify they’re still alive. (He’d visit Yukio, but Yukio would likely kick him in the stomach if he tried, and Kise would probably wake up and attack—the kid still had military trained instincts and didn’t appreciate intruders.)

It haunts him. It will always haunt him.

_If only I’d gone sooner, just an hour, even by just one hour, I could have saved_ some _of them—_

He’s never going to get over that.

*

It doesn’t change anything—that Hinata Shouyou is alive, when everyone thought GM-O394 had died a long time ago. He hadn’t been there that night anyway, so it’s not like anyone was saved.

But at the same time, it did change things. It changed everything.

_One lived._ And if one lived, maybe others did too. Maybe others got away. Hinata Shouyou is hope, even if it’s a false hope.

*

“How much do I owe you, anyway?” Michiru asks. “The others are all pitching in to pay for this shindig, right?” She means the pizza and the BBQ.

Youji just snorts. “Don’t be ridiculous. I stole one of Masaomi’s credit cards.”

“Ah,” she says sagely, “That guy does come in handy sometimes.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, this is not the last Designation: Miracle short story!! I already have some more written and a lot of prompts still left to get through. But for various reasons, I sorta wanted to close this one off? And then start working on a "Volume Two." Sorry if that is inconvenient, it's really mostly just that perpetually unfinished things make me anxious, for some bizarre reason. Thus, finishing. And will start a new one! I hope you enjoy the next installments!  
> Thank you everyone for leaving kudos and comments, it always makes me so happy, and thank you everyone for reading these stories! You're the best =D


End file.
